Charlie Cushman

Banjo instructor
NashCamp Fall Banjo Retreat

Charlie Cushman was born August 23, 1959, in Clarksville, Tennessee. He is the son of Irene and Finis Cushman, Jr.

Around age 4, Charlie became interested in the music he saw on local television The Ernest Tubb Show, The Wilburn Brothers Show, The Porter Wagoner Show, The Grand Ole Opry, and foremost, The Flatt and Scruggs Show.

The banjo picking of Earl Scruggs caught Charlie's ear, amidst all the electric guitars, fiddles and vocals of these incredible talents. After months of persistent talk and dreams of having a banjo, his grandfather bought a used one with a repaired neck at the local music store.

The search for a teacher began, and soon Charlie was taking lessons every Saturday.  His teacher played electric lead guitar for Webb Pierce, and occasionally for some other Nashville based acts, and knew only a couple of three-finger tunes on the banjo.  He agreed to give the lessons, and after a few months, Charlie was showing him things he had learned at home, from his Earl Scruggs records. His "formal" lessons were over.

During the next 2 years, Charlie played the banjo in talent contests, at luncheons, and parties around his hometown. By age 10, Charlie was playing over station WPHC in Waverly, Tennessee each Saturday night on the "Tennessee Valley Jamboree".

In support of his interest in music, Charlie's parents started taking him to Bluegrass festivals. This is when he first began to understand what Bluegrass was all about. He also saw most of his musical heroes in person, and later became friends with many of them.

In early 1974, 14-year-old Charlie began playing the banjo six days each week on the Carl Tipton Show on WLAC-TV in Nashville, a show that aired for more than 25 yhears and featured guest artists from Bill Monroe and Tennessee Ernie Ford to many local talents. It was during this 5-year period of employment that Charlie learned guitar and upright bass.  He was often called on, to back up the guest performers, and gained tremendous musical experience, along with making some life long friends.

From 1979 till 1986, Charlie worked as a musician and business owner, in Nashville. He played the banjo with James Monroe and the Midnight Ramblers, Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, Mel Tillis and the Statesiders, and also became a part of the Nashville session scene. Opryland, USA, then employed him, as a multi-instrumentalist from 1986 to mid 1990.

On September 20, 1990, he joined long-time friend and fellow banjo picker Mike Snider, playing bass and guitar for Mike at the Opry and on road dates until September 1, 2004.

Today Charlie plays with a variety of artists and friends. He is an in-demand session player on banjo and guitar and is available as a free-lance artist. He also enjoys working on Mastertone style banjos, and appreciating antiques. When he's not involved in music, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends. Charlie Cushman is a people and music enthusiast.