American bluegrass and country banjo player, born on January 12, 1938, in Wild Cat Corner, Arkansas, and passed away on August 19, 2018. Latham was a prominent member of The Kentucky Colonels from 1961 to 1974 and later joined The Dillards from 1974 to 1978.

At the age of about 10, Latham's family moved to Michigan, where a friend gifted him a banjo. Using a pick he fashioned from a Prince Albert can, he taught himself to play. He and his friend performed a few songs on a local radio show, which led to the formation of the Cumberland Mountain Gang.

After losing his job, Latham and his brother relocated to California, where he was hired by Barbara Mandrell's father to teach her banjo. In 1958, after being heard at a local music store, he was invited by Clarence White to join his family band, initially known as the Three Little Country Boys, which became simply the Country Boys after the addition of Billy. The Country Boys gained popularity, performing alongside artists like Muddy Waters and Johnny Cash, and made an appearance on The Andy Griffith Show. Several songs from this show were included in the album Themes and Laughs from the Andy Griffith Show. When they recorded their first album in 1962, the label requested a name change to The Kentucky Colonels. The group regularly appeared on Cousin Herb Henson’s “Trading Post” show on KERO-TV in Bakersfield.

Latham toured with Rick Nelson and contributed to two of his albums. After a brief stint with Doug Dillard and the Expedition, he formed his own group, Country Gazette, before ultimately joining The Dillards. A chance encounter with the emerging artist Elton John led to The Dillards serving as his opening act. They also toured independently, drawing a crowd of 25,000 at the Wolf Trap in Washington, D.C., and appeared on several television programs, including The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.

In 1979, Latham departed from The Dillards to play guitar and sing harmony for Mary Arnold. He eventually returned to California, performing with local bands and remarrying. He and his wife formed a duo and played and recorded music locally.

In the 1990s, Latham's playing was hindered by complications from ulcerated colitis. He recorded two albums with the Laurel Canyon Ramblers in the mid-'90s but had to leave in 1997 for surgery. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Kentucky to join Soulgrass, living in Horse Cave, Glasgow, and Franklin. A serious car accident in 2004 resulted in a crushed arm. By 2009, he was working to relearn how to play his instruments while residing just north of Nashville.