Olly Oakley (b. Joseph Sharpe in 1886 or 1887, d.1943) was a British banjoist whose performing and recording career began in the 1890s, the era of minstrel shows and wax cylinder recordings, and ended in 1930, when rheumatoid arthritis in his hands made him unable to continue working.
He was the most prolifically recorded banjoist of his time, was said to be a dynamic and versatile stage performer and was considered a virtuoso of the finger-style method of playing the instrument. His repertoire ranged from arrangements of classical pieces to the ragtime compositions which became popular in the 1910s and 1920s. A fascinating biographical article on Olly Oakley can be found here.
~from John Peel Wiki
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