Don Adams (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy Get Smart (1965–70, 1995), which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart (1967–69). He provided the voices for the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–66) and Inspector Gadget (1983–86) and Inspector Gadget's Field Trip (1996) as their title character until 1999.
[on the banjo as the 'flavour du jour'] I like it when it's good and I don't like it when it's bad. To me it doesn't feel like success to have crappy banjo on a crappy song. Just because it's widespread doesn't mean it's good. But there's a lot of real good playing going on, and that I find even more exciting.
2
What I like about the fact that it's everywhere right now is that the stigma factor has faded away. People might chuckle a bit about the idea of the banjo, but they also take it seriously. So when you think, 'Why are all these people that are more main-stream putting the banjo in their music?', it's because it has a sound of authenticity.
3
When I was learning the banjo in New York City, Pete Seeger was great example of a 'New York City banjo player'. He was a lot more than a banjo player, he was a spokesman for a certain part of our society at that time. He was also a guy who believed in everybody getting together and using music as a 'wedge'. The music was a meeting point for people to discover how much they agreed on things. He also did very simple music. His message had to do with simplicity. Mine is probably the furthest from that.
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Fact
1
Brother-in-law of Erin Torneo.
2
Brother of Sascha Paladino and Louie Fleck.
3
Banjo player.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Marty Stuart Show
TV Series performer - 1 episode, 2014 writer - 1 episode, 2014
Tornado Alley
2011
Documentary short as Béla Fleck, "Blue Mountain Hop"
One Symphony Place: A World Premiere Live from Music City
2006
TV Movie performer: "Triple Concerto for Banjo, Double Bass and Tabla" World Premiere / writer: "Triple Concerto for Banjo, Double Bass and Tabla" World Premiere
Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland
$2 Million
