When Hollywood stars and friends of comedian (and banjo player) Steve Martin accepted his invitation to a dinner party at his Los Angeles home on July 28, no one was expecting anything other than some good music, and good times together.
When the guests arrived – including film luminaries like Tom Hanks, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy and Carl Reiner – they realized that they were actually to be the guests at Martin’s surprise wedding to Anne Stringfield, his girlfriend of the past three years.
A reunited Hot Rize was on hand to provide the bluegrass music, with original members Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick and Nick Forster joined by David Grier on guitar. They not only entertained after the wedding dinner, but also provided the music for the ceremony itself.
O’Brien sang his song Romance Is A Slow Dance to start the ceremony, and played the traditional Irish air, Sheebeg and Sheemore on fiddle for the processional. Wernick played a jaunty version of Cripple Creek on the banjo as the newlyweds recessed.
After dinner, Martin introduced Hot Rize for a short set, during which he joined them on stage with his banjo, performing his tune The Crow, and a double banjo version of Foggy Mountain Breakdown.
Congratulations to the happy couple. A marriage consecrated by bluegrass music is bound to take, yes?
