John McEuen
| John McEuen | |
|---|---|
McEuen after a show at Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, Missouri, July 18, 2012
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
December 19, 1945 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, folk, folk-rock, bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, producer |
| Instruments | Banjo, mult-instrumentalist |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | Chesky, Warner Bros., Vanguard, Cedar Glen, Planetary, Aix, Rural Rhythm |
| Associated acts | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Martin |
| Website | www |
John McEuen (born December 19, 1945), is an American folk musician and founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
McEuen was born in Oakland, California. After seeing the Dillards perform in 1964, he began playing banjo when he was 17. Eventually he took an interest in, fiddle, and mandolin.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's roots were in a duo formed by two high school friends, Jeff Hanna and Bruce Kunkel, during the early 1960s in southern California. In college, they met musicians Jackson Browne, Ralph Barr, Jimmie Fadden, and Les Thompson and formed the folk-rock group the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966. When Browne departed after 5 shows in search of a solo career, they were joined by John McEuen, brother of the band's manager, Bill. In 1967, the band released its first album, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, on Liberty Records, with a minor hit in "Buy for Me the Rain".
By contrast, they had no hits from their next three albums until their cover version of "Mr. Bojangles" by Jerry Jeff Walker. Bill McEuen suggested the band move to Nashville to record, which they did in 1972. Bill and John McEuen came up with the idea of recording an album of traditional bluegrass and country music, different from the electric folk-rock they had been playing in Long Beach, California. John asked banjoist and new friend Earl Scruggs if he would record with the band in June of 1971. A week later he asked Doc Watson the same question - both enthusiastically said yes. The result was a triple album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1973), that featured guest appearances by country musicians Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Merle Travis, and Maybelle Carter. The album received critical and popular praise and was certified gold. In 1977, they toured the Soviet Union, the first American band to do so.
...
Wikipedia