Thank you, Ben Eldridge

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our great friend and mentor, the legendary Ben Eldridge. Known mostly for his incredible, innovative banjo playing over many years with The Seldom Scene, Ben’s musical influence has already spread far and wide. The joy and open-mindedness of their music undoubtedly planted the seeds for the evolution and growth of #bluegrass that we see happening today. They were way ahead of their time - bringing the ‘cool’ factor to bluegrass long before bluegrass was cool. But Ben was much more than just an influential musician to us. He was a dear friend and a mentor beyond compare. The earliest iteration of the @stringdusters sprang to life in Ben’s living room in Fredericksburg, VA. Chris Eldridge (Ben’s son, and amazing guitar player for the Punch Brothers), Andy Hall, Zach Hickman and I formed a band called Stablehorse which would eventually morph into the Stringusters. Our first few tours/shows were all very VA-centric and Ben’s house became our unofficial home base. We would crash on the couches and work up music as he listened in, giving us advice and confidence that will last a lifetime. Over that period we got to know The Seldom Scene family, already heroes and legends of bluegrass. It was such a formative time in every way possible, and through it all Ben’s generosity, encouragement and joyous spirit set an unforgettable tone. Eventually, Critter and I would move to Nashville and as our band evolved we needed a new name. Ben came up with ‘Stringdusters’ and it was a fit right away. Around that time he lent me his Huber banjo for a few years and helped me figure out my sound with the most sage banjo related advice I’ve ever gotten. He told me that I had to learn Scruggs style more thoroughly to put the progressive ideas in context, and he was right. It’s something I think about daily and share with students all the time - it changed my musical trajectory. Through those early years, Ben’s influence was larger than life. And while a big part of that was musical (‘Live at the Cellar Door!!!’) mostly what we will remember and try to pass on is his warm, encouraging spirit, because that’s what life is all about. Sending so much love to Critter and the whole Eldridge family. Thank you, Ben. We love you ❤️