Day 30 : Del McCoury Band

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"I learned to play music from my older brother, and we always listened to the Grand Ole Opry. In 1950, he bought some 78 RPMs, and one of them was Flatt and Scruggs. When I heard them playing 'Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms,' I just couldn't leave that record alone…I wore it out!"- Del





Delano Floyd McCoury was born in Bakersville, North Carolina on February 1, 1939. It was his older brother G.C. who introduced the young Del to bluegrass through the music of Flatt and Scruggs. Del first learned to play guitar as a kid then switched over to banjo. Bill Monroe told Del he'd try him out for two weeks and then get him into the union, which he did, Del was one of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boy's from February 1963 until early 1964. After years of ups and downs with different bands he formed his own band Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals. Constant personnel changes were a matter a fact for most bluegrass acts of the day, especially given the pressure of keeping full-time employment while maintaining a band. "Back then I didn't take it as seriously as I do now. It was more of fun thing. Musicians would come and go. I played the bluegrass festivals on weekends, sometimes a thousand miles away, just to keep a band together. I did that all through the seventies. I recorded some pretty good albums and had some good bands, especially for being just part time."

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Present Band

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Ronnie McCoury At the age of 9 he started taking violin lessons. He took the lessons for two years and gave it up for sports. But when he was just 13, after attending a show with his Dad where he saw Bill Monroe perform, he decided that he wanted to play the mandolin. When a slot opened in Dad's band Ron tried out for it got it and has been with him ever since.

Rob McCoury Rob "caught the pickin' bug" when he was just eight years old, after seeing the Osborne Brothers at Sunset Park in West Grove, PA. In June of 1986 Del had a festival to play in Bath, NY and he needed a bass player. At that time Rob knew almost nothing about playing a bass fiddle. He knew the chords on the bass but had never played before in a band situation. He played the gig and took up the bass role for one year and then switched over to banjo when the position opened up and is still there now.
Alan Bartram At fourteen his dad started teaching him guitar. He was introduced to bluegrass by an uncle who had a band called Special Blend. In August, 2005, Alan joined the Del McCoury Band
Jason Carter was born February 1, 1973 in Ashland, Kentucky. He worked six months for The Goins Brothers playing fiddle and traveling mostly on the East Coast. In February of 1992 The Goins Brothers played in Nashville, TN with Del McCoury; Jason asked him for a job. Two weeks later he was back in Nashville trying out. They played in Nashville, West Memphis and Garland, TX and when they got home they told him that he had the job. He's been with the band ever since.


Sounds Like
Genre: Bluegrass
Similar Artists: Tony Rice, Bill Monroe,
Similar Bonnaroo Artists: Tony Rice,

Suggested Listening






www.archive.org/details/delmccoury2008-04-12.flac16 --- link to a great recording of a a high energy picking pretty recent show ....... click stream for some crystal clear live pickin'


Physical Reaction/Live Show
you will dance, sway,dosey doe


Personal Notes
Although I give great respect to this band they are not high up on my personael bluegrass list and I actually own absolutely nothing by them (which is pretty strange for me considering the vastness of my live music collection). My preferences lean more toward a jammier type grass coined "newgrass"or dare I say "jamgrass" bands like : Strength in numbers, New grass Revival, Hot Rise, DGQ, Sam Bush band, Jerry Douglass Yonder mountain String Band , Leftover Salmon you get my drift.