The Resume

(July 10, 1958- )
Born in New York City, New York
Banjo player
Member of New Grass Revival
Led Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Recorded the albums 'Crossing the Tracks' (1979), 'Natural Bridge' (1982), 'Double Time' (1984), 'Inroads' (1986), 'Daybreak' (1987), 'Drive' (1988), 'Places' (1988), 'Tales from the Acoustic Planet' (1995), 'Tabula Rasa' (1996), 'The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet Vol. 2' (1999), 'Perpetual Motion' (2001), 'Music for Two' (2004), 'Tales from the Acoustic Planet Vol. 3: The Africa Sessions' (2009) and 'The Melody of the Rhythm' (2009)
With the Flecktones, recorded the albums 'Flight of the Cosmic Hippo' (1991), 'UFO Tofu' (1992), 'Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1993), 'Left of Cool' (1998), 'Outbound' (2000), 'Little Worlds' (2003), 'Jingle All the Way' (2008) and 'Rocket Science' (2011)

Why he might be annoying:

He was first drawn to the banjo after hearing the theme song to The Beverly Hillbillies.
He began playing gigs while still in high school, noting 'I'd be riding the subway back at 3 or 4 in the morning and getting up at 7 AM, then toughing it out through the school day.'
He said of the Flecktones' bluegrass-meets-jazz sound, 'It was so bizarre it was actually commercial, in a non-commercial way.'

Why he might not be annoying:

He was named after classical composer Bela Bartok.
His influences range from bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to jazz greats Chick Corea and Charlie Parker.
He has won 13 Grammys (through 2012) in fields ranging from country to jazz to world music to classical.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• AV Club's 30 Greatest Performances of the National Anthem (Ranked: 15)
• Banjo Strummers
• Bluegrass Musicians
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 50]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [July] (Ranked: 7101958)
• Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album (Ranked: 2022)
• Grammy for Best Folk Album (Ranked: 2016)
• Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Ranked: 1997)
• Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Ranked: 2010)
• I Attended La Guardia High School
• I Became a Dad in 2013
• I Covered a Beatles Song
• I Married in 2009
• I Performed with the Chieftains
• Jazz Artists
• Profiles 34751-35000 (Ranked: 34997)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying