(Editor’s Note: Today, award winning fiddlers Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland announce their upcoming debut duo album, Carter & Cleveland, out March 14. To celebrate the announcement and the project’s lead single, we’re premiering a special live performance of the track, “With A Vamp In The Middle,” from the fabled stage of the Grand Ole Opry.)
Artist:Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee and Charlestown, Indiana Song: “With A Vamp In The Middle” Album:Carter & Cleveland Release Date: February 5, 2025 (single); March 14, 2025 (album) Label: Fiddle Man Records
In Their Words: “This song has always felt like a national anthem for fiddle players and it’s our tribute to the legendary John Hartford and Vassar Clements. It’s long been a favorite for Michael and me to jam on – perfect for twin fiddles and a blast to improvise and trade licks on. Having Darrell Scott’s harmony vocals on [the studio version of] this track was an absolute honor, and his contribution took it to another level. I hope y’all enjoy it!” – Jason Carter
Credits: Jason Carter – Fiddle, vocals Michael Cleveland – Fiddle Alan Bartram – Bass, harmony vocals Cory Walker – Banjo Bryan Sutton – Guitar Harry Clark – Mandolin
To close the month of May, we have an absolutely stacked round up of premieres this week!
It’s lovely any time natural and organic themes twist their way through our batches of premiere. This week, it certainly seems like cutting-edge bluegrass is front and center, with new tracks and videos from John Cowan, Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, and husband-and-wife duo, Benson.
Plus, we have a trio of songs about touring, coming and going, leaving and returning – Rob Baird asking his listeners to “Hold Tight” ’til his return, Evan Boyer longs for home and hearth in a song for his wife, “Home to You,” and Rose Gerber pays tribute to a vagabond period in her own life with “Off to See America.”
Finally, don’t miss a danceable rockabilly number, “If I Didn’t Have You,” from Matt Hillyer and roots duo Native Harrow bring us a new music video for “Borrowing Time.” It’s a packed premiere round up this week and You Gotta Hear This!
John Cowan, “Fiction”
Artist:John Cowan Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Fiction” Album:Fiction Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); Fall 2024 (album) Label:True Lonesome Records
In Their Words: “The genesis of the song is that Eddie [Sanders] and I had sat down to write a song for this new recording that eventually was titled ‘Fiction.’ I have been a voracious reader my whole adult life. I was discussing with Eddie the problem of living in a world at this time, which is confounding, scary, and frustrating. My expansive bookcase is loaded with non-fiction books. I had just said to him that I can hardly stand to pick up these two new books I’d bought, ’cause I didn’t feel like I needed any more affirmation about the state of our country and the world. What I needed was an escape to a place of commonality with the people I’ve encountered and my loved ones. I think we did a good job on it and that’s all I know for now except, I always believe in hope and grace.” – John Cowan
Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, “Give It Away”
Artist:Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland Hometown: Floyd, Kentucky, now living in Hendersonville, Tennessee (Jason); Charlestown, Indiana (Michael) Song: “Give It Away” Release Date: May 8, 2024 Label: Fiddle Man Records
In Their Words: “I feel that the world we live in is a beautiful place, but it takes all of us to make that world. Every time I hear this song it brings a smile to my face, thinking of the day we recorded it. The room was filled with friends making music and the joy that was shared between us really comes through in the recording. This song was written by two of my favorite fiddlers, Tim O’Brien and Matt Combs, and that was another thing that made me feel like it was right for Michael and I to record it.
“Every time I’ve been around Sam Bush, I feel the love he puts out into the world and I thought he’d be the perfect person to sing this song with. I feel the same way about Michael, it’s always such a joyful experience to get to play or even hang out with him. With that said, ‘Give It Away’ sets the tone for the entire record, I hope you enjoy it.” – Jason Carter
“‘Give It Away’ is a hard driving bluegrass song in the key of B, except this time nobody leaves or dies. Instead, it reinforces the valuable lesson that if you want to ever find love, you have to learn to give it away. I would like to thank Bryan Sutton, Cory Walker, Alan Bartram, and Sam Bush for creating one of the most grooving tracks I’ve ever been a part of, they really made this song come to life. This song was a natural for twin fiddles, and Jason and Sam’s vocals are absolutely incredible.” – Michael Cleveland
Rob Baird, “Hold Tight”
Artist:Rob Baird Hometown: Austin, Texas Song: “Hold Tight” Album:Burning In the Stars Release Date: June 21, 2024 Label: Hard Luck Recording Company
In Their Words: “Early on in my career, I spent a lot of time in a van, touring all over God’s green earth. This song, ‘Hold Tight,’ is a reflection of those times. It’s about the chaotic feeling of driving through the night to get back home to one who’s been waiting for you. I wanted that feeling of desperation and determination to build every second of this song. Hold tight and hold on for just a few more hours.” – Rob Baird
Track Credits: Produced by Brian Douglass Phillips. Jacob Hildebrand – Electric guitar, slide guitar Z Lynch – Bass guitar Brian Douglas Phillips – Pedal steel, background vocals Fred Mandujano – Drums, percussion Sean Giddings – Organ
Benson, “Donner Pass”
Artist:Benson Hometown: Boiling Springs, South Carolina Song: “Donner Pass” Release Date: May 31, 2024 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words:“‘Donner Pass’ is a tune I wrote while traveling with IIIrd Tyme Out. We were heading back east after a west coast string of gigs and, with a little time to kill, decided to stop in Reno, Nevada. We parked in the same general area where the Donner Party had been trapped over the winter, so this felt like a great song title for a minor-key melody. I had been working on the tune itself for a few days as we played out our gigs in California, but the original cell phone demo was recorded at Donner Pass where we parked overnight before driving into town.” – Wayne Benson
“This is one of my favorite tunes that Wayne has written. It feels dark, which is appropriate considering the title and location that it’s written about. The track moves a lot dynamically and I always enjoy that — I love taking a fairly simple melody and working with it to create different moods.” – Kristin Scott Benson
Track Credits: Wayne Benson – Mandolin Kristin Scott Benson – Banjo Cody Kilby – Acoustic Guitar Tony Creasman – Drums Kevin McKinnon – Bass
Evan Boyer, “Home to You”
Artist:Evan Boyer Hometown: Somers, Connecticut originally; Dallas, Texas since 2010 Song: “Home to You” Album:The Devil in Me Release Date: June 7, 2024 (album) Label: Medicine for Mary Records
In Their Words: “‘Home to You’ is a special song to me for a few reasons. First, the writing – it was the first song I really wrote for my wife. I’ve had others kind of about us or about our relationship, but I had never written one that focused on the fact that she’s my rock. Another is the production and the players I have on this track. Jenee on fiddle absolutely blew me away. Tim wrote that solo on the floor and then was able to perfectly replicate it two other times so that we could layer it three times. It’s stuff like that that’ll keep me making records for as long as I can.” – Evan Boyer
Track Credits: Lyrics and music by Evan Boyer. Produced by Bradley Prakope. Recorded at The Panhandle House, Denton, Texas. Evan Boyer – Vocals, acoustic guitar Timothy Allen – Electric Guitar Nate Coon – Drums Bob Parr – Bass Jenee Fleenor – Fiddle Drew Harakal – B3 organ
Native Harrow, “Borrowing Time”
Artist:Native Harrow Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Song: “Borrowing Time” Album:Divided Kind Release Date: September 13, 2024 Label: Different Time Records
In Their Words: “This is one of those songs that was written in a few minutes, recorded in an afternoon, and came together like it was always a song. The rhythm signifies a lazy, hazy walk through the fields, lost in thoughts and daydreams. It is loose and meanders its way with pedal steel swirls (Joe Harvey-Whyte) and a single snare drum played with brushes while the bass thumps its way along the dusty trail. I go on daily walks to clear my head and to be in nature. I never want them to end and am always a little melancholy when they do and I have to return to my to-do list. I feel things very deeply and in trying times it often feels like life is a giant wheel rolling down a road and I am either being plowed over by it or chasing to keep up and it doesn’t pay any mind to my own struggles. In writing this song I realized that maybe being lost is better than having it all figured out and we’re all just borrowing time.” – Devin Tuel
“We recorded ‘Borrowing Time’ on a hot, dry day last summer (2023), setting up in the living room, with the windows wide open to take in the little bit of breeze that snuck in over the hills that afternoon. We started with Devin’s vocal and guitar and my Hofner Beatles bass (no click track, of course), sitting a foot away from each other. So close in fact, that you can hear the faint clack of my pick on the flat-wound bass strings bleeding into the vocal track. Next, we added a simple snare drum with brushes (myself) and shaker (Devin), again around the same mic. Finally, we added the electric guitar overdub, my black Gretsch hollowbody guitar through our old Fender amp, with its drippy reverb and dense tremolo, before sending the track up to our buddy Joe Harvey-Whyte in London where he added his cosmic outer space pedal steel. Sometimes we like to spend weeks working on a track, adding as many layers as it needs, and sometimes a finished song (as in the case of ‘Borrowing Time’) comes together in a single afternoon. Either way, we’ll take them as they come.” – Stephen Harms
Video Credits: Photography by Rosie Lord. Edited by Devin Tuel & Stephen Harms.
Matt Hillyer, “If I Didn’t Have You”
Artist:Matt Hillyer Hometown: Dallas, Texas Song: “If I Didn’t Have You” Album:Bright Skyline Release Date: June 7, 2024 (single); June 21, 2024 (album) Label: State Fair Records
In Their Words: “I got my start playing rockabilly music. I’ve enjoyed playing many different styles of roots music over the years, but I always seem to gravitate back to that rockabilly swing. It just feels good and puts a smile on my face. It’s even better being able to have some great players and even better friends on it: Heather Stalling on fiddle, Kevin Smith on bass, Lloyd Maines on steel guitar, and Arjuna Contreras on drums. The song itself is a love song, and in my opinion, you can’t have enough of those. I was thinking about my wife when I wrote it. I was imagining a way to tell her how lost I’d be if I didn’t have her in my life.” – Matt Hillyer
Rose Gerber, “Off to See America”
Artist:Rose Gerber Hometown: Portland Song: “Off to See America” Album:Untraveled Highway EP Release Date: July 5, 2024
In Their Words: “When I was 17, I set out on a road trip that had no planned end. I was a high school drop-out running from a broken home and thought the romance of the road would save me. You can’t run from life though and the road wears you down. After thumbing around, riding freight trains and some lean times, I finally threw in the towel; but can’t say I regret a minute of it. This song is a tribute to that time of my life.” – Rose Gerber
Video Credits: Starring Mary Krantz and Just Clark. Directed By Benjamin Olsen.
Photo Credit: John Cowan by Madison Thorne; Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland by Sam Wiseman.
There might not be a more universally beloved figure in the bluegrass world than Del McCoury. Offstage as well as on, he carries himself with a self-assured grace that is both regal and welcoming — bluegrass royalty in every sense. We talked to three of the people he’s closest to about the experience of really knowing Del McCoury up close.
Alan Bartram, bassist in The Del McCoury Band
“Joining the Del McCoury Band was one of those fortuitous right-place-right-time things, and they made it so easy. He’s as laid-back as you imagine. The same happy-go-lucky guy you see on stage is like that all day. There’s no ‘stage persona’ he changes into, and he’s not strict about anything so long as you’re taking care of business. Just do your thing and everything’s cool. I couldn’t think of a better boss.
“If he ever gets mad, it’s real subtle. Unless you’re around him a lot, you’d never even know it. There are days when he might not be in the best mood, but there’s never an outburst or a rampage. You’d have to know him to pick up signs he’s annoyed about something. Going on 84 years old, he can still get up at 4:30 a.m., fly somewhere, drive a rental van to the gig, soundcheck, go through the whole day and then get onstage at 9 p.m. and just kill it for two hours. I’ll be just whupped, but he’s still crushin’ it. And the longer he sings, the stronger he gets. God, I hope I have that stamina at his age. He hasn’t lost anything, even after we were shut down for most of 2020. Taking a lot of time off at his age, you can lose a step. I swear he didn’t.
“I’ll tell an embarrassing story on myself to show how cool he is. A few weeks ago, there was a Grand Ole Opry show on a weeknight – and I somehow forgot all about it. Had it on my calendar but just completely spaced it. So I get a call: ‘Hey, man, you playing with us tonight?’ And you know that feeling when your heart just drops? Oh my God. At that point, there was no way I could get there in time. I’m 40 minutes away, they’re on in 10. Mark Fain from the Opry house band had to fill in for me that night. I still can’t believe I did that.
“Now Del does not really use a cellphone, so I had to wait until he got home to call him. So I call, Jean answers: ‘Alan, is something wrong?’ ‘Nothing’s wrong,’ I said, ‘except I forgot I was supposed to be at the Opry tonight.’ And she giggles just as Del walks in. ‘You wanna talk to him?’ ‘Oh yeah, I need to.’ So he gets on the phone and I say, ‘Del, I am so sorry. There’s no excuse. I really blew it, just completely spaced on it.’ And he says, ‘Oh, that’s all right. If I didn’t have Jean telling me when to be down there, I’d have probably missed it, too.’ He could not have been sweeter, which was a relief. I was able to sleep that night. That’s a pretty good picture of who Del is.”
Rhonda McCoury, daughter of Del and Jean McCoury
“I don’t play music, no. Dad showed me a few things when I was a kid. But then I realized I didn’t want to get on stage and do that: ‘If I learn this, I’ll have to get on stage like Dad does! Uh uh, not for me.’
“Mom handled most of the discipline, while Dad was very easygoing. He was the one who’d help us with homework after dinner. If mom ever said, ‘Wait ’til your father gets home,’ we’d just get talked to. And we’d rather have taken a beating, we never wanted to disappoint Dad.
“He’s the epitome of greatest father in the world. Patient, working his tail off all the time. If someone’s car wasn’t running, he would fix it. If there was some math we didn’t understand, he would explain it. Back then we had to put covers on our school books, and he’d help do that.
“He had the logging day job for a long time but didn’t seem frustrated by that. He’d grown up on a farm, working from the time he was a kid. I never heard him complain. He worked for our uncle’s company and could take any time off he needed. But over time, he did realize, ‘This is a little dangerous and maybe I should not do it for the rest of my life.’ Then when the boys started playing, too, that’s when he really got focused on music more.
“He’s not really different, offstage or on. What you see is what you get. He’s always been laid-back and funny, loves to tell stories. He doesn’t change much – except for his suit. There’s no grey area, this is him and it’s the way he’s always been. Like anybody else, you don’t want to make him mad. But 99 percent of the time he’s calm and mild-mannered. About all he does is think about music.
“About the only time he ever gets nervous before a show is when it’s the Opry – especially at the Ryman, where he played with Bill Monroe. But mostly, he never gets too nervous. Maybe a little frustrated if allergies kick up and affect him, not that anyone else would notice the way he does. ‘I’m not of right voice today.’ He just enjoys music so much, nerves never boil to the surface. It became even more enjoyable when the boys started playing, and they’ve just gotten better and better over the years. That’s the most fun for him, onstage with them.
“Mom and Dad have a pool, which Dad loves. He’ll be tinkering with the bus and jump in the pool to cool off. Deer and turkeys are always around the house; he’ll feed them, and he likes to deer-watch. You’ll wonder where he is and then see him standing in the pool watching the deer or turkey walk by, and all you see is his head.
“When we were kids, Dad was just our dad and music was what he did for a living, no different from anyone else’s dad’s job. Ours plays music and sings. But he’s always loved it so much. He had music on all the time, the band guys were over to rehearse inside and outside the house. School nights, we’d go to sleep hearing the band play downstairs.”
Dierks Bentley, Country Artist and Friend
Photo by Chris Hollo, Courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry
“I moved to Nashville in 1994 to be a country singer and was really disillusioned with the scene at the time. It just did not feel authentic and I didn’t know how it would fit for me. I was having a hard time until I randomly went to the Station Inn on a Tuesday night. Walked in and saw these guys wearing loose, baggy clothes and playing bluegrass. I just fell in love with it on the spot. Jason Carter, who was the fiddler for Del McCoury Band, became one of my best friends and turned me on to a lot of bluegrass. It quickly became my favorite genre.
“That’s how I got to know Del’s band. I drove with Jason out to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 1997, which is where I finally met Del himself. Nicest guy ever, always with a big smile. Del just is who he is. Driving back cross-country in my truck afterward, we got pulled over by the Arkansas State Police, who claimed they smelled marijuana as we drove by at 75 miles per hour. They had the dogs out sniffing the tires, doing the big search. ‘Man,’ I said, ‘we’re just going back from the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.’ To them that meant we were a bunch of hippies. But they finally let us go and I got Jason back in time for the Tuesday night gig at the Station Inn.
“They say Nashville’s a 10-year town, and it took me almost that long to get a record deal. That was 2002. My first record, I brought the Del McCoury Band in to cut a song for it. Second record, too. I also suggested to Del that he cut Sinatra’s ‘Learnin’ the Blues’ and got a credit in the liner notes, which was about the biggest moment of my fledgling career up to that point. I have yet to get my own Del McCoury Band cut, but it’s on my wish list. Some songwriters want a George Strait cut, but I want the Del McCoury Band – and I’ve made enough money that it’s actually true! As you know, there’s no money in bluegrass. I’d like to do a Del & Dierks album at some point, too.
“I tell people all the time that Del McCoury really is responsible for the success I’ve had in country music. His work ethic is something everybody can learn from, and also the way he doesn’t compete with anybody else. That’s why he and the band are always laughing, having fun, in a good mood. The only person you’re competing with is yourself from the day before, trying to get better. In a town where everybody else talks shit all the time, they all enjoy what they’re doing because they’re not looking at what others are doing. Sure, Del looks back to Bill Monroe. But as far as contemporaries go, I’ve never seen a group of guys more present and having more fun. That’s an approach I’ve taken with country music, just trying to compete with myself. Whatever success I’ve had, it’s because of that.”
Artist:Jason Carter Hometown: Ashland, Kentucky Song: “King of the Hill” Album:Lowdown Hoedown Release Date: November 4, 2022
In Their Words: “Here’s my new single, ‘King of the Hill.’ This is a Bruce Hornsby song that we did on the very first session for my record Lowdown Hoedown. I feel extremely lucky to have such an all-star band on the recording. These guys are some of my musical heroes. Cody Kilby (guitar), Dennis Crouch (bass), Russ Carson (banjo), Sam Bush (mandolin), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro). This song is for anyone who’s ever had a dead-end job or had a boss like a prison warden. I think it turned out to be a smokin’ bluegrass tune and I’m very excited to share it with you. This video is from a preshow warm up in the dressing room of the world-famous Station Inn, right before we hit the stage for the opening night of Americanafest. Again I’m very fortunate to get to play with some of the best musicians in Nashville! Joining me here are Cody Kilby (guitar), Ashby Frank (mandolin), Cory Walker (banjo), and Alan Bartram (bass).” — Jason Carter
Even after five decades in the bluegrass business, the McCoury family is having a banner year in 2019. In February, Del McCoury turned 80 years old and shared the Grand Ole Opry stage with some of his most famous admirers. That same month, the Travelin’ McCourys – fronted by Del’s sons Rob and Ronnie McCoury — picked up a Grammy award in Los Angeles for their self-titled, debut album. And looking ahead, the 12th annual DelFest music festival in Cumberland, Maryland is slated for May, with performances by both bands on the schedule.
In person and off stage, Del McCoury is as polite and warm as one would expect. Smiling broadly as he enters the Opry dressing room, he’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt, his pompadour is on point (as always), and he seems unfazed by the fact that show time is less than 30 minutes away. To paraphrase another Opry star, he’s just so proud to be here.
“I’ve been listening to the Grand Ole Opry since I was at least 10 years old,” he says. “My brother and my dad would listen because it was before TV, you know? Especially out in the country where we lived. People had TVs, but I don’t remember anybody who did out in the country. We grew up on a farm. Like I said, I’ve been listening to the Grand Ole Opry since then and I’ve always looked up to all the acts on here. Especially the bluegrass acts, like Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. It’s a big show in my mind! Still is!”
Though the time set aside for the interview is somewhat brief, Del conjures up stories about everything from crusty club owners to playing Carnegie Hall. He cracks up at a memory of Bill Monroe flat-out telling festival promoter Carlton Haney that a bluegrass festival would never work. Thinking even further back to his childhood, he reminisces about being fascinated by Earl Scruggs’ banjo on “Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” when he was around 11 years old.
“Something hit me here,” Del says, touching his heart. “That banjo behind the lead singer was so good. And so I learned how to play that. I was already a guitar player but I heard this record and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s what I want to do!’ So, when I could get a banjo, I started learning it. Just take the record, pick the needle up and put it over, and try to play what Earl was doing. It was not simple!”
Ronnie McCoury, Vince Gill, Del McCoury
Asked about the decision to spin off a group from The Del McCoury Band, employing everybody except himself, Del says he conferred with manager Stan Strickland about how to make it work.
“I got to an age where I thought, you know, I’m [not] gonna be around here forever,” he noted, just before breaking into his trademark laugh. “I felt good, and I still feel good, but you never know. When you get to 70, you don’t know how many days you got left. I thought, these guys depend on me. My wife and I talked to Stan and I said, ‘You know, if we get them something going on their own, and if something happens to me, then by that time they might be established.’ So we got them a different booking agent than I had, and it seemed like right from the start they were starting to do good already! And I thought, ‘Wait a minute now, I wonder if I should have done that…’”
He breaks into laughter again, before adding, “Especially when they start winning Grammys! And they don’t take me with them!”
Loyal bluegrass fans know that for decades the Del McCoury Band has done its own share of travelin’ – not to mention winning two Grammy awards of their own. Led by Del on lead vocals and guitar, the good-natured group includes Ronnie on mandolin, Rob on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle and Alan Bartram on bass. Cody Kilby assumes Del’s role as a guitarist in The Travelin’ McCourys, while the vocals in that ensemble are handled in equal share by Ronnie, Rob, Jason, and Alan.
Three days after their Grammy win, the Travelin’ McCourys regrouped with Del when the Opry curated a special show called the Grand Del Opry, in order to commemorate McCoury’s milestone birthday as well as his 15th anniversary as an Opry member. Friends like Sam Bush, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Vince Gill, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and of course Travelin’ McCourys jammed with the man himself.
The finale of the Grand Del Opry
In an interview a few weeks after the show, Rob says, “One of the biggest things for me was the finale, and looking at all these people on stage to help Dad celebrate his birthday. And also looking out to see nearly a full house in honor of my father. It made me very proud to see all these folks that have such respect for my dad and the music, and they all took the time to come out to the Opry that night and put on a show in honor of my father.”
Del McCoury made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry as Bill Monroe’s guitarist in 1963 – and that performance was only McCoury’s second gig with the esteemed Father of Bluegrass. The first was not long before that, when McCoury subbed for Monroe’s banjo player at a New York show. Although McCoury still preferred playing banjo, Monroe offered him a spot as a guitarist and lead singer – a job he kept for a year. “He’s the reason I’m doing that now,” Del says with a chuckle. “I didn’t think I would be, but once I started playing guitar and singing, I liked it.”
Obviously he still does. McCoury has played a staggering number of festivals over the years, including a few of those seminal Carlton Haney bluegrass festivals of the 1960s. Still he needed some persuasion to launch his own music festival. He recalls, “My manager said to me, ‘Did you ever think about having your own festival?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve always wanted to, but I don’t want the headache! What a headache that’s got to be!’”
But with persistence, the right location, and a diverse lineup, DelFest has become a major player on the folk festival circuit. This year’s roster includes The String Cheese Incident, Trampled by Turtles, Tyler Childers, Railroad Earth, and more than a dozen bluegrass artists, including Billy Strings, Sam Bush, the Gibson Brothers, Sierra Hull, and the SteelDrivers.
Sam Bush and Del McCoury
“Attendance is staying up there good, and it’s fun,” Del says. “It’s not a bluegrass festival, it’s just a music festival. We have a lot of bluegrass bands there, you know, but we have jam bands, and we have country acts, man, you name it. We had jazz bands, we had a mixture of music, and I like a variety of music my own self. I figured, if we have a variety of bands, some folks will come to see one band, then these folks will come to see another band, and that’s how you get your fans.”
Rob McCoury adds, “I thought having the festival was a great idea. We’ve played hundreds if not thousands of festivals through the years. So I think it was just the natural progression to have a festival of our own. I guess the most surprising thing is, the small details that add up to big things, that no one realizes is going on behind the scenes.”
Asked about the reward of all that work, he answers, “The fans, no doubt about it. All those folks come to DelFest, and anytime dad walks on stage at his own festival he’s a rock star. To me, it’s just the coolest thing.”
Rock star. Bluegrass Hall of Fame member. A nine-time IBMA Entertainer of the Year. Dad. These are just some of the ways you can describe Del McCoury. Winding down the interview backstage at the Opry, he pauses for a moment when he’s asked how he’d like the Opry family to remember him.
Finally, he says, “You know, I guess I’d want ‘em to remember me like a guy that never expected to be an Opry member. I knew I would play music, for years and years, but I thought, ‘The Opry is something is really special and I don’t know if they’d want me there.’ I was fortunate that they did, and I’m just so grateful. I hope they just remember a country guy that really loves the Grand Ole Opry and loves music.”
The Travelin’ McCourys, Vassar McCoury, Del McCoury, and Dierks Bentley
Photo credit: Chris Hollo / The Grand Ole Opry
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Ronnie McCoury, Vince Gill, Del McCoury
The finale of the Grand Del Opry
Sam Bush and Del McCoury
