Marty Stuart
's musical tribute to the Byrds' guitarist Clarence White, titled "Hummingbyrd,"
won Stuart his fifth
Grammy on Sunday (Feb. 13) in Los Angeles. White was killed
in 1973 after being hit by a drunk driver while he was loading equipment into a car following a reunion gig with one of his
earlier bands, the Kentucky Colonels. After gaining prominence in bluegrass circles for his acoustic style, White gained national
attention in the Byrds for his distinctive electric guitar style using a B-bender, a device that changes the pitch of the
instrument's B string. Stuart's tribute resulted in his third career win in the best country instrumental performance category.
The song comes from his latest album,
Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions). "It really means the world to me to be recognized
by my peers for this piece," said Stuart. "My main electric guitar belonged to Clarence White, the great guitarist for the
Byrds. After Clarence's death, I bought this guitar from his wife. I've played it on a lot of hits and on a lot of records,
but I've never felt like -- to the Clarence White fans who watch me or who actually watch the guitar -- I've laid down a profound
instrumental that pays homage to Clarence. I wrote this song and gave it a title that pays tribute to Clarence. I consider
it my B-bender recital piece."
