The Odessa Record - Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!

REARDAN - The banjo is an intriguing instrument. Its twangy, bright and almost metallic sound can't be ignored, especially when in the hands of local 17-year-old junior Liam Hamilton.

Hamilton was introduced to the banjo at age 10 when he heard a song by Earl Scruggs on the radio. Shortly thereafter, his parents Andy and Bernadette purchased one off eBay.

Before Scruggs made the banjo popular with his 1949 hit "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," the five-string instrument was played primarily in traveling minstrel and ragtime shows.

Thanks to the inspiration of Scruggs and hours of practice, Ham...