Riley Puckett

Blinded as a baby, Riley Puckett learned to play the banjo, guitar, and piano at the Georgia Academy for the Blind, in Macon. In 1922, he made his radio debut as a special guest of the Hometown Band, led by fiddler Clayton McMichen. The pair subsequently joined forces, alongside Gid Tanner, in the Skillet Lickers. Puckett’s success, quite apart from his instrumental abilities, lay in his large repertoire; his playlist encompassed old-time folk ballads, vaudeville numbers, and more. Although a loyal member of the Skillet Lickers, Puckett’s virtuosic musical skills made him a popular solo act during and after the band’s tenure, until his untimely death in 1946.