Kenny Ingram
Musician · 1952–2020 · Nashville, Tennessee
Best known for
Banjo
Kenny Ingram was one of the most respected traditional Scruggs-style banjo players of his generation, anchoring Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass through Flatt's final years and recording with Jimmy Martin, James Monroe, and Larry Stephenson across nearly five decades on the road.
- Born Kenneth Dale Ingram on August 19, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee; raised in Dickson.
- Joined James Monroe's Midnight Ramblers in 1971 at age 19; replaced J.D. Crowe in Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys in 1972.
- Anchored the banjo chair in Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass from 1973 through Flatt's final years.
- Returned to Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys after Flatt's death; later played with Curly Seckler's continuation of the Nashville Grass in 1981.
- Came back to full-time touring with Rhonda Vincent & the Rage in 2001 and spent roughly a decade with the Larry Stephenson Band starting around 2009; retired from the road in 2018.
- Recorded as a sideman across the Lester Flatt and Jimmy Martin catalogs and contributed to Foggy Mountain Special: A Bluegrass Tribute to Earl Scruggs (Rounder, 2012).
- American Made Banjo Co. produced a Kenny Ingram signature model in recognition of his standing in the Scruggs-style tradition.
- Died at home in Nashville on July 26, 2020 at age 67, after a stroke two days earlier.
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Lester Flatt and the Nashville GrassPlayed on recordings with Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass
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Jimmy Martin and Ralph StanleyPlayed on recordings with Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley
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Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain BoysPlayed on recordings with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys
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Larry Stephenson BandPlayed on recordings with Larry Stephenson Band
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Red AllenPlayed on recordings with Red Allen
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Lester FlattPlayed on recordings with Lester Flatt
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Rhonda VincentPlayed on recordings with Rhonda Vincent
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Curly Seckler and the Nashville GrassPlayed on recording with Curly Seckler and the Nashville Grass
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Larry StephensonPlayed on recording with Larry Stephenson
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Marty StuartPlayed on recording with Marty Stuart
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Rhonda Vincent and the RagePlayed on recording with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage