Durham man picks banjos to play, trade

TWITTER.

THE PRIME MINISTER NOT A BIG

TWEETER.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> BLUEGRASS MUSICIANS AND

FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE

COMING TO RALEIGH THIS WEEK.

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS

MUSIC ASSOCIATION, ITS ANNUAL

WORLD OF BLUEGRASS GATHERING,

BEGINS TOMORROW.

>> THE TAR HEEL TRAVELER IS IN

DURHAM WITH A BIG NAME IN

BLUEGRASS AND AND JOE'S.

>> ONE THING I WAS THINKING

ABOUT WAS SITTING ON MY FRONT

PORCH.

I NEVER WENT LOOKING FOR A JOB

IN MY LIFE.

>> BUT HE DID GO LOOKING FOR A

BANJO.

>> Reporter: AT HOME IN DURHAM

WITH ALL OF HIS FRIENDS, STEVE

MARTIN, DOLLY PARTON, EARL

SCRUBS, JACK BLACK, MUSICIAN

AND ACTOR. JIM MILLS HAS KNOWN

THEM ALL.

>> THE ENTIRE TIME I WORKED ON

THE ROAD I WAS TRADING IN THESE

PREWAR GIBSON BANJOS OFF OF MY

KITCHEN TABLE.

>> I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THE RAW

POWER OF IT.

>> Reporter: JIM BUYS AND SELLS

THE GIBSONS.

>> IT IS A BUSINESS AND PEOPLE

COME HERE FROM LITERALLY ALL

OVER THE WORLD.

>> I WAS BORN IN RALEIGH, NORTH

CAROLINA.

>> Reporter: HE BEGAN TOURING

WITH LAWSON AND QUICKSILVER.

LAWSON IS NOW IN THE

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS HALL OF

FAME.

>> THE NEXT BIG BREAK I GOT WAS

WITH RICKY SKAGGS.

>> Reporter: HE WORKED WITH

RICKY FOR 15 YEARS.

JIM ALSO CUT TWO RECORDS WITH

DOLLY PARTON.

>> SHE IS A GENUINE PERSON.

>> Reporter: HE WAS BUSIER THAN

A ONE LEGGED MAN IN A BUTT

KICKING CONTEST.

>> A LOT OF THESE BANJOS ARE

OWNED OR HAVE OWNED.

>> THIS IS 1930S.

THE BANJO RETAIL FOR $200.

>> Reporter: TODAY IT IS WORTH

$30,000.

>> THIS IS SNUFFY JENKINS

BANJO, THE MOST PRIZED ONE OF

ALL.

>> HE INFLUENCED A LOT OF

PEOPLE.

>> Reporter: JIM AND EARL

SCRUBS.

>> YOU PLAYED AT HIS FUNERAL.

>> I WAS ASKED BY HIS SON TO

COME PLAY.

THIS ONE, SIX TIMES.

HE HAS ALSO WON SIX GRAMMYS.

>> Reporter: HE HAS MET PEOPLE

FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO COME

TO HIS HOME IN DURHAM TO BUY

HIS PREWAR GIBSON BANJOS.

>> I AM VERY, VERY BLESSED.

I GOT TO WORK WITH SOME OF THE

GREATEST SINGERS AND PLAYERS IN

THE WORLD AND I AM VERY

THANKFUL FOR THAT.

>> JIM MILLS ALSO HAS THREE

SOLO RECORDS, ONE OF WHICH ONE

IS THE INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF

THE YEAR FROM THE INTERNATIONAL

BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION.

>> AND, THE WORLD OF BLUEGRASS

EVENT BEGINS TOMORROW. IT