Ben Eldridge (August 15, 1938 – April 14, 2024) was an American five-string banjo player and a founding member of the seminal bluegrass group The Seldom Scene.
He fell in love with hillbilly music as a child listening to the Old Dominion Barn Dance on the radio.
Ben's mother Polly would take him to the concerts and he got to know many of the top acts in country music hanging out in the green room between shows.
Eldridge was among five musicians who started playing in the fall of 1971 with mandolinist John Duffey, Dobro player Mike Auldridge, bassist Tom Gray and guitar and lead singer John Starling.
Eldridge, the last original member of the Seldom Scene, announced his retirement January 15, 2016, after 44 years with the band.