Musician creates GoFundMe page for ‘Banjo Boy’ from ‘Deliverance’ movie

Billy Redden, who played the teen character in the “Dueling Banjos” scene, is now retired in Rabun Gap with mounting medical bills.

A California bluegrass musician and fan of “Banjo Boy” Billy Redden from the Oscar-nominated movie “Deliverance” recently started a GoFundMe page to help the Georgia man, who is now 67 and suffering from medical problems.

Since March 4, the page has raised more than $16,000 from 500-plus donors.

At age 15, Redden was featured in the memorable “Dueling Banjos” scene in “Deliverance,” an action thriller in which four Atlanta men embark on what would become a deadly canoeing expedition in the north Georgia mountains.

Early in the film, the men stop at a gas station and spy Redden’s character Lonnie, who is on a nearby porch possessing a stony face, pale, flat eyes and a banjo. Bobby (Ned Beatty) looks at Lonnie and disparagingly says: “Talk about genetic deficiencies — isn’t that pitiful?”

But when Drew Ballinger, played by newcomer Ronny Cox, whips out a guitar and strums a chord, Redden quickly responds with a matching chord. They then joyfully trades riffs for several minutes. “You play a mean banjo!” Drew says with glee, then goes to shake Lonnie’s hand. But Lonnie doesn’t respond in kind, looking away instead.

Interesting, I follow Ronnie Cox on Facebook and he noticed a photo from filming the movie turning up in his feed, but didn't know why. I shared this article over there - perhaps he'll contribute.