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Well-known banjo player Roni Stoneman recently passed away on February 22, 2024, at the age of 85. She was in hospice care for some time and surrounded by her daughters at the time of death, as per Tulsa World. However, her cause of death has not been officially confirmed so far.
Roni was mostly known as a member of the band, The Stoneman Family. All Music states that the group also included her father, Ernest V. 'Pop' Stoneman. She later appeared in TV shows such as Hee Haw, where she portrayed Ida Lee Nagger.
Roni even received the title of "The First Lady of the Banjo" due to her flawless work as a musician. The news of Stoneman's death was confirmed by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Roni Stoneman gained recognition over the years for her contributions to the family group
As mentioned, Roni Stoneman was an important part of The Stoneman Family. She was one of the cast members of the TV show Hee Haw, where she was initially chosen for a guest appearance. She later became a regular cast on the series and was featured in multiple skits.
She left the show in 1991, and worked with a band called Daisy Maes, where a majority of the members were girls. She was operating a theater called Flagler Beach for a brief period.
Hillbilly Music states that Roni was the youngest child of her parents, Ernest and Hattie. She started her musical career by playing for different bands and before that, reportedly learned a few things about music from her brother Scott.
During the 60s, she recorded a lot of albums with her family, which helped them to finalize a deal with MGM Records in the later years of their successful career. However, her work with the family band also left a bad impact on her marriage with her second husband, George Hemrick, who as per Hillbilly Music, was not only abusive, but consistently told her she would be better off on her own.
She left the group following the birth of her daughter with Hemrick in 1971. Prior to Hemrick, she had been married to Eugene Cox, with whom she had four children.
Roni Stoneman recorded a lot of singles in her solo career in the 70s. However, her personal life was going through a bad phase at the same time, since was also dealing with a divorce from Hemrick.
Stoneman had two other marriages. After Hemrick, she married Bill Zimmerman. Following her divorce from Zimmerman, she married Larry Corya. However, this also ran its course by 1991.
Following her stint in Hee Haw, she later released a CD, titled Bummin' Around. She also wrote on autobiography, Pressing On.
Netizens pay tribute to Roni Stoneman on X
Roni Stoneman was praised for her work with her family group for many years. When the news of her death went viral, netizens took to social media platform X to express their grief:
As mentioned before, Stoneman's solo career was in the spotlight for a long time and her comedy skills in Hee Haw were praised by the public.
