John McEuen
Sat, Oct 19
|Chandler Center for the Arts
A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, McEuen is one of the seminal figures who (nearly 50 years ago) conceived and originated the fusion of folk, rock and country, Will thrill fans of rock, country and folk alike!
Time & Location
Oct 19, 2019, 7:30 PM
Chandler Center for the Arts, 71 S Main St, Randolph, VT 05060, USA
About the event
A Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founding member (1966); in 2015 they were inducted in to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. October of 2017. After concluding their 50th anniversary tour, due to growing demand John left the band to pursue his own tour dates and projects.
The Life I’ve Picked on Chicago Review Press was been #1 on Amazon’s country book charts for its first 5 weeks, and is in its 2nd printing with ALL 5 star reviews.
In 1971 McEuen initiated what Rolling Stone called “The most important record to come out of Nashville” and what the 2004 ZAGAT survey called “the most important record in country music” – Will the Circle Be Unbroken – named by CMT one of the 40 most important albums Country Music; inducted into the Library of Congress in 2004 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011 as an historic recording.
Made in Brooklyn - Produced by John , with 6 original cuts and gems from his roots of music features David Bromberg, John Cowan, Matt Cartsonis, John Carter Cash, Steve Martin, Andy Goessling, David Amram, Martha Redbone, and Jay Ungar. Made in Brooklyn on Chesky Records (Sept./2016) was honored with Stereophile Magazine’s Record of the Month! March of 2018 it was noted as Best Americana Album by the Independent Music Awards.
John McEuen’s Acoustic Traveller show – The Sirius/XM radio show – is now in its 9th year. On The Bridge, it runs 6 times a month, also available on demand.
John was recently inducted in to the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame!
Deering Banjos has made a special “John McEuen” model banjo in his honor
In 2010 John was honored with The Best of the West Performer Award, as a solo artist, presented by the Folk Alliance.
The Allman Bros. Band released Live at the Beacon Theater, featuring John as special guest in 2013.
2009 GRAMMY HALL OF FAME inducted Mr. Bojangles by NGDB as an important Historical Recording.
2010 GRAMMY WINNER: John produced Steve Martin – The Crow new songs for the 5-string banjo and won Best Bluegrass Album. John assembled: Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Mary Black, Earl Scruggs, and others. (He has known Steve Martin since teenage years working in Disneyland; McEuen also did the music for Steve’s NBC television specials; in 1977 The NGDB was ‘the band’ on Martin’s King Tut).
2013 John received the Charlie Poole Lifetime Achievement Award. McEuen has also been presented with the Uncle Dave Macon Award for excellence in and pursuit of preserving historic music.
2004 Grammy winner for Best Country Instrumental – Earl’s Breakdown with special guests Earl Scruggs and NGDB.
Released winter 2007: Phish - Live in Las Vegas concert with the jam band Phish, features John as a guest musician on banjo and lap steel.
In 1977 the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band became the first American band to tour the Soviet Union – 28 sold out shows in May – the tour included a television broadcast reaching 130 million people. They are featured in 2017’s Free to Rock documentary about how American Music brought down the Iron Curtain
The Music of the Wild West CD– Produced by John, was honored with the Western Heritage Award. It is “the Will the Circle Be Unbroken of 1890.” (McEuen has scored 13 film projects, and Emmy nominated mini-series The Wild West for Warner Bros.,)
Produced and directed (also on Varese/Sarabande) the live music documentary The Dillards – A Night In the Ozarks, capturing his early mentors at their best.
McEuen did music scores for three documentary films in 2008/09: Maynard Dixon – Art & Spirit ; Sizzle – a global warming comedy; and Losing the West.
He has continually performed - over 9,500 shows - and traveled 3 million+ miles to do it … performed on over 300 television shows, both with the band and solo, as well as producing shows for television.
John is the only California musician to perform solo on the Grand Ole Opry, also play it several times with his band NGDB, and be a featured guest “sittin’ in” with several of the Opry member acts.
Released ’07 – the Sesame Street- Children’s Favorite Country Songs dvd. McEuen sings Oh, Susannah with 50 goats, a cow and two dozen kids.
Manassas – End of Innocence Civil War documentary, music score by composed and produced by McEuen, shows at the Manassas Battlefield Park in Virginia daily.
John has made over 40 albums (6 solo) that have earned 4 platinum and 5 gold recognitions, Grammy, CMA and ACM awards, Emmy nomination, IBMA record of the year award, and performed on another 25 albums as guest artist.