Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Like mainstream country music, it la ...

ian. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons,

Ronnie McCoury Ronnie McCoury is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter (born March 16, 1967). He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin' McCourys. Biography Ronnie M ...

and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively. In June 2010, he received a

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's ...

lifetime achievement award from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

and in 2011 he was elected into the

International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Induction to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor from its creation in 1991 through 2006, is managed by the International Bluegrass Music Association, and the Hall itself is maint ...

Career

McCoury has had a long career in bluegrass. Although originally hired as banjo player, he sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar for

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

's Blue Grass Boys in 1963, with whom he first appeared on the ''

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a div ...

''. McCoury briefly appeared with the Golden State Boys in 1964 before taking a series of day jobs in construction and logging, while continuing to work as an amateur musician in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.GACTV
December 5, 2005, accessed February 11, 2006 In the 1980s his sons began performing with him. Fiddler

Tad Marks Tad Marks (born 1954) is an American folk and bluegrass fiddle player. Music He spent his youth in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Played and performed with Bob Doyle and the Allegheny String Band, the Twigg Brothers,Buzz Busby,Bill Harrell,Whetstone Run, ...

and bass player Mike Brantley joined McCoury's group in early 1990s. McCoury's group toured widely throughout the US. They relocated to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

as they began to attract attention. Fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub joined in 1992. Alan Bartram joined the band as bassist in 2005. McCoury became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in October 2003. McCoury was also one of many performers at

The Clearwater Concert ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009. The event celebrated the 90th birthday of

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notabl ...

. McCoury has influenced a great number of bands, including

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...

, with whom he has shared the stage several times, and who have covered his songs.http://www.coversproject.com/artist/del%20mccoury%20band , accessed February 11, 2006 He has also performed with

The String Cheese Incident The String Cheese Incident (SCI) is an American jam band from Crested Butte and Telluride, Colorado, formed in 1993. The band is composed of Michael Kang (acoustic/electric mandolin, electric guitar, and violin), Michael Travis (drums and percus ...

and

Donna the Buffalo Donna the Buffalo is a band from Trumansburg, New York. It plays both original songs and cover versions. A musician friend suggested "Dawn of the Buffalo" as a name for the band, which was misheard as "Donna the Buffalo" and, over thirty years ...

, and recorded with

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music ...

. McCoury has covered songs by artists as diverse as

The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

, and Richard Thompson. McCoury has appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo, High Sierra, the

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB), originally Strictly Bluegrass, is an annual free and non-commercial music festival held the first weekend of October in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Conceived and subsidized by San Francisco ...

, The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and the

Newport Folk Festival Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...

.http://www.delmccouryband.com/news.cfm , accessed February 11, 2006 His television appearances include ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

'' and the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...

''. Del has a very enthusiastic fan base, known as the Del-Heads. In October 2009, The Del McCoury Band began offering fans recordings of their performances on

USB flash drives A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since first ...

available immediately after their concerts. In June 2010, McCoury received a lifetime achievement award from the

in the field of folk and traditional arts, including a stipend of $25,000. In 2012, he joined the 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.

DelFest

In 2008, Del McCoury started DelFest, an annual bluegrass festival in

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

, Maryland, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds. Del McCoury Band plays every night at each of the festivals. The 5th annual DelFest occurred in May 2012, and major bluegrass acts played such as

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

with the

Steep Canyon Rangers Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon ...

, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon,

Infamous Stringdusters The Infamous Stringdusters are a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band. The band first emerged in 2006 with the limited release of a five-song extended play CD ''The Infamous Stringdusters,'' followed in 2007 by their first album ''Fork in the Road ...

Railroad Earth Railroad Earth is a bluegrass-influenced Americana band formed in Stillwater, New Jersey in 2001. The band's music combines elements of progressive bluegrass, folk, rock, country, jazz, Celtic and other Americana influences. Recognized as ...

Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...

, and

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Reviva ...

, most of which had returned from previous years at the festival. In previous years, acts such

Peter Rowan Peter Rowan (born July 4, 1942) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings. Biography Rowan was born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family. From an early age, he had an interest ...

David Grisman David Grisman (born March 23, 1945) is an American mandolinist. His music combines bluegrass, folk, and jazz in a genre he calls "Dawg music". He founded the record label Acoustic Disc, which issues his recordings and those of other acoustic mu ...

, Jesse McReynolds,

The Avett Brothers The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett (banjo, lead vocals, guitar, piano, kick-drum) and Seth Avett (guitar, lead vocals, piano, hi-hat) along with Bob C ...

Old Crow Medicine Show Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, '' Remedy'', released in 2014, won the ...

Trampled by Turtles Trampled by Turtles is an American bluegrass-influenced folk band from Duluth, Minnesota. They have released ten full albums, three of which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard bluegrass chart. Their fifth release, ''Palomino'', stayed in the ...

Greensky Bluegrass Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece American bluegrass jam band founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in mid-2000. The band has evolved over the years, growing from 3 to 5 members, adding electric effects, and touring with a full light show. Partly becaus ...

, and Psychograss have played. The 14th DelFest occurred in May 2022, after a two-year delay caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

Discography

Solo albums

* 1968: ''Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass'' ( Arhoolie) reissued in 1992 as ''I Wonder Where You Are Tonight'' with two previously unissued tracks * 1971: ''Livin' on the Mountain'' (

Rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification ...

) released in 1976 * 1971: ''Collector's Special'' (Grassound) released in 1976 * 1974: ''Our Kind of Grass'' (

SLP-1569) released in 1978 * 1975: '' Del McCoury'' (

SLP 1542) * 1988: ''Don't Stop The Music'' (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

)

With
The GrooveGrass Boyz The GrooveGrass Boyz were an American musical group that played a mix of bluegrass, funk, and freestyle music. The group was founded as a side project by record producer and session musician Scott Rouse in 1987, after he began experimenting with ...

*1998: ''GrooveGrass® 101 featuring the GrooveGrass Boyz™''

With the Del McCoury Band

*1992: ''Blue Side of Town'' *1993: ''A Deeper Shade of Blue'' *1996: ''The Cold Hard Facts'' *1999: '' The Mountain'' (with

) *1999: ''The Family'' *2001: ''Del and the Boys'' *2003: ''It's Just the Night'' *2005: '' The Company We Keep'' *2006: ''The Promised Land'' *2008: ''Moneyland'' *2009: ''Family Circle'' *2011: ''American Legacies'' (with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band) *2012: ''Old Memories'' *2013: ''The Streets of Baltimore'' *2016: ''Del and Woody'' *2017: ''Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass''

As the McCoury Brothers (with Jerry McCoury)

* 1987: ''The McCoury Brothers'' (

)

With the Dixie Pals

* 1973: ''High on a Mountain'' (

) * 1975: ''Del McCoury And The Dixie Pals'' (Revonah R-916) * 1980: ''Live in Japan'' (Copper Creek) * 1981: ''Take Me To The Mountains'' (Leather LBG-8107) reissued in 1983 as

REB 1622) * 1983: ''Best Of Del McCoury And The Dixie Pals'' (

REB 1610) * 1985: ''Sawmill'' (

REB 1636) * 1991: ''Classic Bluegrass'' (

) compilation of 1974-1984 Rebel Records recordings

With Mac Wiseman and
Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

* 1998: Del Doc & Mac ( Sugar Hill)

Also appears on

* 2011: Audie Blaylock and Redline - ''I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky: A Bill Monroe Celebration'' (Rural Rhythm)

Awards and honors

Del McCoury has won 31 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year four consecutive times (nine total). McCoury has also won IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year four times. In 2004 he was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Album

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for ''It's Just The Night'', and in 2006 he won his first Grammy Award, in the same category, for ''The Company We Keep''. In 2014, McCoury was nominated and won his second Grammy Award for ''The Streets of Baltimore''. He was a recipient of a 2010

awarded by the

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. McCoury received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, in 2015. The award is bestowed upon bluegrass artists who do an exemplary job of advancing traditional bluegrass music and bringing it to new audiences while preserving its character and heritage.

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards

*1990 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury *1991 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury *1992 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury *1994 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *1994 Album of the Year – ''A Deeper Shade of Blue''; Del McCoury *1996 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *1996 Entertainer of the Year – Del McCoury *1996 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury *1997 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *1997 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *1997 Album of the Year – ''True Life Blues – The Songs of

'';

Vassar Clements Vassar Carlton Clements (April 25, 1928 – August 16, 2005) was an American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and ...

, Mike Compton, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Pat Enright, Greg Garing, Richard Greene, David Grier,

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

, Bobby Hicks, Kathy Kallick,

Laurie Lewis Laurie Lewis is an innovative American singer, musician, and songwriter in the genre of bluegrass music. History Laurie Lewis was born in Long Beach, California on September 28, 1950. Her family moved regularly from place to place until she w ...

, Mike Marshall, Del McCoury,

, Jim Nunally, Scott Nygaard,

Mollie O'Brien Mollie O'Brien (born October 25, 1952) is an Americana, bluegrass, R&B, and folk singer from Wheeling, West Virginia. She has released a number of Americana albums with her brother, Grammy-winner Tim O'Brien. She has also released five pos ...

, Tim O'Brien, Alan O'Bryant,

Herb Pedersen Herbert Joseph Pedersen (born April 27, 1944 in Berkeley, California) is an American musician, guitarist, banjo player, and singer-songwriter who has played a variety of musical styles over the past fifty years including country, bluegrass, p ...

Todd Phillips Todd Phillips (né Bunzl, born December 20, 1970) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He began his career in 1993 and directed films in the 2000s such as ''Road Trip (film), Road Trip'', ''Old School (film), Old School'', ...

, John Reischman,

, Craig Smith,

Chris Thile Christopher Scott Thile (; born February 20, 1981) is an American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality, best known for his work in the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk and progressive blue ...

Tony Trischka Anthony Cattell Trischka (born January 16, 1949) is an American five-string banjo player. Sandra Brennan wrote of him in 2021: "One of the most influential modern banjoists, both in several forms of bluegrass music and occasionally in jazz and ...

Roland White Roland Joseph White (né LeBlanc; April 23, 1938 – April 1, 2022) was an American bluegrass music artist, performing principally on the mandolin. Biography White was born in Madawaska, Maine, on April 23, 1938, as Roland Joseph LeBlanc, and ...

. *1998 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *1999 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *2000 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *2002 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *2002 Song of the Year – ''1952 Vincent Black Lightning''; The Del McCoury Band (artists), Richard Thompson (writer) *2003 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *2004 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band *2004 Album of the Year – ''It's Just the Night''; The Del McCoury Band

Notes and references

External links

*
Discography
at Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCoury, Del 1939 births Living people American bluegrass guitarists American male guitarists American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters American bluegrass musicians National Heritage Fellowship winners People from Bakersville, North Carolina Grammy Award winners Grand Ole Opry members Singer-songwriters from North Carolina Rebel Records artists Musicians from York, Pennsylvania Guitarists from North Carolina Guitarists from Pennsylvania 20th-century American guitarists Country musicians from Pennsylvania Country musicians from North Carolina 20th-century American male musicians Del McCoury Band members Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania