Remembering Stringbean (June 17, 1915–November 10, 1973)

Remembering Stringbean on what would have been his 96th birthday today!    

Born David Akeman, he was a banjo player and comedy musician best known for his role on the hit television show, Hee Haw, and as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.  Akeman and his wife were murdered by burglars at their rural Tennessee home in 1973.

Akeman came from a musical Kentucky family and was taught to play banjo by his father. He traded a pair of prize bantam chickens for his first real banjo at the age of 12 and began playing local dances where he developed a reputation but could not earn a living as a musician.

 Instead, Akeman worked for the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), building roads and planting trees.

After entering and winning a talent contest being judged by singer-guitarist-musical saw player Asa Martin, Akeman was invited to join Martin's band. During one performance, Martin forgot Akeman's name and introduced him to the crowd as "String Beans." With his tall, thin build, the nickname stuck and he eventually was known by that moniker.

Early in his career, Stringbean picked the banjo (prior to Earl Scurggs) as a bluegrass boy with the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe.  The tragic death of Stringbean and his wife Estelle was documented in song by the Father of Newgrass, Sam Bush.

__________

___________

___________

Hee Haw's Grandpa Jones' Tribute to Stringbean after the tragedy 

Read more about: "Stringbean"

Even More Here