Bill Cornett, known as "Banjo" Bill Cornett, was a traditional folk singer and banjo player born on July 2, 1890 in Knott County, Kentucky. His music was first recorded by John Cohen for Folkways Records, appearing on the album Mountain Music of Kentucky. In 1955, Cornett was elected as a State Representative in Kentucky and notably performed "Old Age Pension Blues" on the floor of the Legislature. Cornett was also thought to have originally written "Man of Constant Sorrow", later made famous by Alison Krauss & Union Station. On January 12, 1960, Cornett died of a heart attack while playing his banjo in a Frankfort, Kentucky restaurant. His music was posthumously released on the album The Lost Recordings of Banjo Bill Cornett in 2005.
