Mike Currao, a proud member of The Banjo Hall of Fame passed away February 7th, after a brief illness. Mike was born into a musical family in Brooklyn NY. As a youngster, Mike began taking tenor banjo lessons from his father, Charles Currao, who was also an extraordinary musician. Following in their father’s footsteps, Mike, along with his twin brother Vince were performing professionally by the age of 10. Mike’s musical career spanned over 60 years and included theater, recordings, radio, TV, concerts, and philharmonic performances.
After retiring to Florida in 1995, Mike performed frequently with The All-American Banjo Team, The Naples Jazz Masters, and The Gulf Coast Banjo Society. Mike was also a dedicated teacher and instructor and was inducted into The Banjo Hall of Fame in 2014, with the class including The Kingston Trio and Earl Scruggs. Mike was 82 years old.
