Bill Evans
Bill Evans (born 1956) is an American five-string banjoist, author, and ethnomusicologist who holds a master's degree in music from the University of California, Berkeley. He has performed with acoustic ensembles including Cloud Valley, Dry Branch Fire Squad, and Bluegrass Intentions, while releasing solo albums such as Native and Fine (1995) and In Good Company (2012). An influential educator, Evans authored Banjo for Dummies (2007) and Bluegrass Banjo for Dummies (2016), wrote for the Banjo Newsletter, and created The Banjo in America, a historical performance piece tracing the instrument's evolution using period-accurate instruments. He previously served as the associate director of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, was awarded the Steve Martin Banjo Prize in 2022, and was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2024.