Buck Trent, Country music legend who made a major mark on the Branson entertainment scene has passed away.
According to a social media post from his wife, Trent died Monday morning at the age of 85.
Who was Buck Trent?
Buck Trent was an American country music instrumentalist. He invented the electric banjo and also played the five-string banjo, dobro, steel guitar, mandolin, electric bass and guitar.
Buck Trent Biography
Charles Wilburn Trent was born on February 17, 1938. He was raised in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Trent was performing on radio stations WORD and WSPA in Spartansburg by age 11.
He traveled to California and Texas, finally arriving in Nashville in 1959 where he joined the Bill Carlisle Show and first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry.
He was a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys from 1960 to 1961, Porter Wagoner’s “Wagon Masters” from 1962 to 1973, and also appeared on the Roy Clark Show and Hee Haw from 1974 to 1982.
He played lead guitar on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene”. In 2012 Buck was featured on two songs on Marty Stuart’s album, “Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down”.
Over his long history, Trent received many awards and nominations. He and Roy Clark were twice named the Country Music Association Instrumental Group of the Year (1975, 1976) and he was twice the No. 1 Instrumentalist of the Year for the Music City Awards.
Included in his nominations are the 1976 No. 1 Instrumentalist of the Year for Record World, 1972 through 1981 No. 1 Instrumentalist for the Music City News Awards and in 1979–1981 Instrumental Group of the Year (with Wendy Holcomb in the Bluegrass category) for the Music City News Awards.
In addition to The Porter Wagoner Show and Hee Haw, other television credits for Trent include The Marty Stuart Show, Country’s Family Reunion on RFD-TV, Mike Douglas Show, The Tonight Show, Nashville on the Road, Tommy Hunter Show, Dinah!, Command Performance, Music City Tonight, and Nashville Now.
Trent’s performing career also included many touring shows, in particular he toured the Soviet Union with Roy Clark in 1976. This was the first country music act to tour the Soviet Union.
In the early 1980s while on tour with the Porter Wagoner Show, Trent came to Branson, Missouri and performed at the Baldknobber’s Jamboree Theatre.
Several years later he opened for Mickey Gilley at the Mickey Gilley Theatre in Branson, Missouri and then in 1990 he became the first national act to open a live music show in Branson, performed in the morning.
Trent’s morning show in Branson, Missouri was called Buck Trent Country Music Show and (as of November 2015) was performed at Baldknobbers Jamboree Theatre. In 2016, his show moved to the Jim Stafford Theater. In 2017, he moved to the Branson Famous Theatre with the Baldknobbers.
Trent was also known for his signature phrase, “Uh-huh, oh yeah,” a phrase that originated in a sketch he performed on Hee Haw. He uttered the phrase as part of his shows, accompanied by a thumbs-up gesture.
Buck Trent Death
Buck Trent died on October 9, 2023, at the age of 85.
Trent’s wife, Jean Trent, said in a statement, “It is with great sorrow and a broken heart to say my husband, my love, Buck Trent, went to be with Jesus this morning. I lost my best friend, and the world lost a Master Musician and Country Music Legend. Oh Yeah!”
Jim Halsey, longtime manager for Country Music Hall of Fame group The Oak Ridge Boys and the late Clark, described Trent as “one of my very favorite people in the world.”
He added in a statement, “I worked with him for years as a partner with the Roy Clark Show. Buck Trent is one of the greatest banjo players ever. We will all miss him. Thank you, Buck Trent, for being in all our lives.”
Roman added in a statement, “Buck was like a brother to me after all of these years. We’ve shared tons of laughs and some tears along the way, but we never left each other’s side. We had a bond like no other. I’ll miss the man, but cherish the memories from our 50+ year friendship. My heart breaks for his precious wife, Jean, his family, friends, and fans. There will never be another like Buck Trent. Oh Yea!”
The Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall added, “We lost a dear long-time friend today in Buck Trent. Buck toured the Soviet Union with us and Roy Clark in 1976 and we have been close ever since. Buck was one of the greatest banjo players of all time and a very funny man. We will miss Buck!”
Buck Trent Cause of Death
The cause of Buck Trent’s death remains unknown.
Buck Trent Age
Trent died on October 9, 2023 (aged 85).
Buck Trent Wife
Buck Trent is survived by his wife Jean Trent.
Buck Trent Children
Yet to update.
Buck Trent Parents
Yet to update.
Buck Trent Siblings
Trent was not known to be an only child, however, details about his siblings are unclear.
Buck Trent Family
Father: Yet to update.
Mother: Yet to update.
Siblings: Yet to update.
Spouse: Jean Trent
Children: Yet to update.
Buck Trent Net Worth
Buck Trent reportedly died a millionaire. He accumulated an impressive fortune over the years. Before he died, he had an estimated net worth of $10 million.
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