Steve Martin plays the banjo on the Gong Show

what the title sez

[@billlonee9470]

It's easy to take Steve for granted, after all these decades, but he really was a breath of fresh air to comedy, when he first arrived on the scene.

[@rogerdavenport9618]

Have an old NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND album and he played the banjo on that album with those guys and anybody who ever heard of that band knew the talent of those guys, and Steve was a top banjo player.

[@jimfritz9503]

I'm pretty sure Steve's manager back then was the brother of the banjo/ steel guitarist/ fiddle player. John Mckuen ?

[@nazmoking3171]

I'd forgotten just how good he really was on that banjo - talented guy!

[@pressureworks]

Nazmo King is.

[@stevee.6725]

He is currently an orchestra level banjo player.

[@sixpakshaker88]

Check out the Steep Canyon Rangers. He plays lead banjo with them from time to time.

[@dskywalker3397]

Steve’s act was always about MAKING FUN OF COMEDIANS. People loved it.

[@TripReviews]

One “Wild and crazy guy!” Love Steve Martin, one of the funniest ever.

[@dlmullins9054]

My uncle won the Eastern Seaboard fiddle Championship three years, but he could really play a banjo. He grew up in McDowell county, West Va and was born in 1929. Steve Martin is one of the most talented men of all time and i love when he plays the banjo. He does Bluegrass music proud. He could play with anyone. He was that good.

[@jeanniemainzer8551]

Steve Martin can still play the heck out of a banjo. He's not even looking at his hands! Makes it look easy--but it's not.

[@julialaw6471]

God I miss the 70s!

[@LIE11Bldg7]

You ARE somebody Steve You are!!!!

[@koryandrews1665]

Nice! Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Awesome banjo tune

[@daveandrews6670]

Cheers mate,me to.

[@eugeneponcelet9377]

That was good. I love Steve Martin.

[@stevemelancon6207]

He's just a wild and crazy guy.

[@1mespud]

Thank you Chuck Barris for producing The Gong Show, The Dating Game, The Wedding Game, all the laughs and doing your part to help tame mankind with your gift and talent. You were a big part of my young TV life. May GOD bless your legacy and surviving family.

[@postalinVT]

Well said spud.

[@jefflarsen9743]

NEWLEWED Game!

[@CreachterZ]

Wow. I don’t see how he could play that well all while having an arrow through his head.

[@THE-HammerMan]

Yep... But pull that arrow out of his head and he crumples to the floor like a rag doll!

[@CreachterZ]

@@THE-HammerMan Ah. I learn something every day.

[@postalinVT]

He's one hard-headed S.O.B.

[@leegraves101]

He played to take his mind off of the pain from that arrow

[@Christbepraised]

Man, Steve Martin could really play. That's pretty cool

[@thomaskodunne7542]

If they bought back the gong show we would all have been on it at least once! Do the math!

[@Christbepraised]

@@thomaskodunne7542 What math? I was complimenting this wonderful performance

[@thomaskodunne7542]

@@Christbepraised the guys voice has never failed him go way back to 1963 and listen not this particular tune but other very underated

[@Christbepraised]

@@thomaskodunne7542 What was he doing? Just singing ?

[@wildwombat]

When I grow up, I wanna be just like Biff !

[@KameraShy]

We miss ya Chuckie.

[@lorij6796]

Steve Martin...who knew he played the banjo..magic fingers.

[@mp29643]

Everybody.

[@missJazzitup99]

Some stars are multi talented.

[@michaelbright1218]

Who Knew Steve Martin Could Play A Banjo THAT Well? 😎🎯💘

[@seewulf2385]

touring the land with his great Bluegrass Band..

[@MrBINGEBOY]

Steve rips that banjo.

[@Lockemeister]

Get his new CD. He is really incredible.

[@kensims4086]

+Lockemeister such a big demand for banjo music cd's these days? who knew...

[@rotunda57]

That was Biff.

[@shack8110]

WHY is he a banjo virtuoso?

[@seniorfrog7391]

Damn that man can play !!

[@thelivingbajesus]

Its funny how many people dont know Steve still plays and has full albums of music out there.

[@bluebear1985]

Not too long ago, when Steve recorded an album with a bluegrass band, he got Paul McCartney to sing lead on one of the tracks.

[@thelivingbajesus]

@@bluebear1985 No kidding? I'm gonna have to check that out. Thanks.

[@wilrobles9824]

Bring back the Gong Show.

[@terrencemcginn8568]

love Steve. Saw him as a young kid at the NYS fair

[@Lumpy63]

I don't know what's funnier,.."My name's Biff", or The Wild Stringed Instrumentalist.....classic stuff!

[@richardbyrd6855]

HEY, THIS GUY'S GOOD.

[@steveweingart9221]

I really like the gong show back then

[@porflepopnecker4376]

I remember when this episode first aired. :)

[@DarrellS54]

" I`m just trying to be somebody,Chuck." lol

[@oppenheimer8279]

Talent!

[@SuperSledgehammer1]

+Tiberias Denmark 1st name Steve :)

[@markschildberg1667]

An author of a book about game shows wrote, “Holy moly! Who let Chuck Barris in?” TV hasn’t been the same since. So grateful for that madman.

[@Moonfire121]

Gosh dang it, Chuck. He's just tryin' to he somebody!

[@cailinmissyloujames1992]

IM JUST TRYIN TO BE SOMEBODY!

[@lovinlife6993]

When shows were fun. So glad I grew up with them.

[@guynorth3277]

No way, had no idea this footage existed! Too awesome!

[@charlenemack7040]

Steve Martin is 77 years old

[@williampalchak7574]

Wish they'd let him play.

[@omegasupreme1970]

he should have said he was dave dave the banjo Machine......

[@wonderlandgirlable]

Steve ......Ahhhh love him x

[@taydrabrookshire347]

So awesome that they didn't even hit the gong.

[@amusement420]

A True Renaissance Man

[@beatnix488]

The weird kid from the movie "deliverance" grows up.

[@meangene98]

He really was very good. It’s too bad he didn’t stick with the Banjo, he could’ve been big!

[@markgrove2030]

He has. Still does. Look him up now. The guy is a polymath. Banjo, acting, you name it. Quite a guy.

[@PoliticallyCensored]

He should try show biz, he has the talent.

[@EarmonkeyMusic]

Check out his band. Steep Canyon Rangers. They’re really good. There’s a bunch of their videos here on YT

[@postalinVT]

@@PoliticallyCensored Nah, he's a flash in the pan. You'll never hear his name in a couple of weeks.

[@C.Chandler_May]

"I'm just trying to be someone Chuck".

[@fluorosco]

Awh! I love this act!

[@jpxpert]

1:55 always gives me chills.

[@germanbini]

You'd probably love this if you haven't seen it - Steve Martin with Earl Scruggs and a whole band of banjo players! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKPPooRnlNuNjKc

[@kwasg3]

Wasn't he born a poor black child??

[@louismeloche3857]

With no rhythm.

[@alangray9117]

Yes but he's considered one of the best banjo players in the world and has a Grammy award for Foggy Mountain Breakdown he recorded with Earl Scruggs and his own bluegrass band The Steep Canyon Rangers

[@idxstudios]

That's racist..ohh...well..not if your a jerk

[@otisdriftwood1697]

Obviously 🤨

[@chaplainmattsanders4884]

😂😂yes!

[@DavidFobare]

Chuck should have let Biff play.

[@nimrod4065]

A Wild Crazy Guy

[@georgeadcock2347]

He was funny back then..

[@66kprdwd]

Don't like it? Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!!!! ;)

[@justaman-km1hl]

he went grey quick

[@mangodebango]

BE SOMEBODY!

[@gbluetoo]

Can you even imagine how wild The Gong Show would be today on cable, say, Showtime?

[@ReeseMac]

ABC brought it back

[@KameraShy]

@@ReeseMac Wasn't the same.

[@user-xr8co4oi8h]

Everything would be too "politically correct" or "offensive" and it would be mo fun w/o Gene and Chuck.

[@user-xr8co4oi8h]

*no fun

[@johnchandler1687]

@@user-xr8co4oi8h And my favorite, the unknown comic.

[@ericwelsh4853]

Right. Because The Gong Show had strict _rules_

[@TheMoni700]

The mad banjo player

[@markpesci1]

Be somebody and find my special purpose

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

[@whatsup7253]

Steve Martin, one of the early funny black comedians.

[@Christbepraised]

Should have given Steve a 10

[@vccstudents]

You can't sing a depressing song when you're playing the banjo. You can't go, "Oh death, and grief, and sorrow, and murder!"

[@WindyBoijen]

Well there is the song literally titled "Oh Death," for one thing. Then there's hundreds of murder ballads played on banjo. So I disagree entirely.

[@frankpenderghast4394]

But they're happy songs about murder

[@jamesanthony8438]

@@frankpenderghast4394 ... It's a Bluegrass thing =)

[@gallery7596]

@vccstudents Hah, yeah, I remember that from "Let's Get Small." Played the album till the needle was dull.

[@navinjonson1902]

Well I guess he had more than 1 special purpose lmfao

[@jamescromer550]

It's that "mumbo dogface in the banana patch" guy ...

[@marimalina9389]

Yes!

[@stringlarson1247]

Epic.

[@robertkaplan7001]

Fkg Genius!!!!

[@time2discern631]

He was on in 1976.

[@slimjim23]

LOL! Awesome

[@robertnegron9706]

Hey Chuckie Baby!

[@chokkan7]

Too bad Biff never got to finish that fine rendition of the breakdown...hope he got his big break elsewhere...:)

[@scrapplepig]

No son.......it never came to be.

[@wannabehendrix]

My names Biff! LOL!

[@cindithomas7440]

He is not dead, folks

[@mfcobb1]

The inFamous cat juggler.

[@scottandvon]

Dude can pick a banjo.

[@kaarlimakela3413]

Foggy Mountain Breakdown ... (y)

[@notgivennotgiven7776]

Him, what's him doing here

[@richardelliott8352]

Once in a while, when I was a grade school kid, I would see Martin playing at knots berry farm before they presented a send up of an old time" hiss the villain, girl gets rescued" melodrama. I get a kick out of seeing his career progression , because as a kid, it was always a let down when he filled in , the regular old guy banjo player was incomparably better , and had the fanciest banjo I had ever seen , then or now. to martins credit, once in a while they would be on stage together, which any guy with more ego than love of the craft would not do, because the old guy could play him right off the stage if he chose to, even though Martin was almost as good most of the time.

[@Vertigoneardeath]

Did Barris clear a line at 20 seconds?

[@romwil]

I think he took a quick picture at the end? I hope that pic exists!

[@cosmicsprings8690]

I heard a rumour American hippies had a show called the bong show

[@thebossman60]

Barris always looked Coked out.

[@lobbyest]

He wasn't. I was on the show (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWWpc3ygi5hqg9E) and he was quite serious when he was prepping the acts before taping. He did joke around a little, but nothing like when the camera went on. When the red light went on, he became "Chuckie"

[@thebossman60]

@@lobbyest interesting. Thanks!

[@mikelliteras397]

I watched this live or on the gong show anyways.

[@MurasakiBunny]

Funny the commercial that appeared for this video for me was starring Steve Martin.

[@colinmcphan]

Biff went on to become a legend in country music

[@colinmcphan]

Then he died in a horrible car crash.

[@carlodave9]

That’s basically Entwistle’s technique on the bass.

[@alanstrong55]

Chuck Barris was comical by nature. Steve could likely play Dueling Banjos.

[@davidfahey5068]

Ok

[@perfectionbox]

i sometimes wonder if Steve Martin and Harrison Ford were separated at birth 🤔

[@otisdriftwood1697]

ANYONE know the name of that tune he's playing ?

[@JohnSGruber]

"Foggy Mountain Breakdown"

[@otisdriftwood1697]

@@JohnSGruber thanks man

[@elifoust7664]

Be somebody....

[@dwightb3405]

Steve is awsome but the interruptions ruined it

[@ricardotablang4400]

He was a jerk

[@josephrandall317]

Michelle

[@jimsonbrown9768]

This is the only song he ever plays.

[@boataxe4605]

Jimson brown No, he has a band named The Steep canyon rangers and plays many songs with them.

[@chadandersen2774]

Sez isn't a word. Says**

[@capie44]

Never found Steve funny. Never admired a banjo picker more than him.

[@markvisconti4507]

I'm going to use that line, "I don't think I should be penalized because I look like him." Awesome!