Benton Flippen

Benton Flippen, an old-time string musician, grew up on a farm in North Carolina, where childhood days first introduced him to the banjo. In his youth he shifted focus to the fiddle and began performing alongside prominent local acts and players, including the Camp Creek Boys, Glenn McPeak’s Green Valley Boys, Esker Hutchins, and Leak Caudill. Starting in the 1970s he joined the Smokey Valley Boys, a group whose recordings captured his distinctive approach to the strings. The ensemble also collected prizes at many fiddling contests. The North Carolina Folk Heritage Awards recognized him in 1990 for his singular method of fingering strings, and he continues to write original pieces while leading instructional workshops.