John McEuen

John McEuen (born December 19, 1945 in Long Beach, California), is an American folk musician and entertainer. He is a founding member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, one of the most venerable and well-known folk-rock groups of all time. He played with the band from 1966 to 1986, and returned in 2001.

He is known as a multi-instrumentalist, and especially recognized as a pioneer stylist on the 5-string banjo.

Besides his career with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen has performed and recorded prolifically as a solo artist and in various group settings, as well as producing music CDs, film scores, and videos.

John is the only Californian musician to perform solo on the Grand Ole Opry, then play it several times with his band, and be featured as a guest with several of the Opry member acts. He has recorded with the Nashvilles Country music creators, and had records in the pop and country charts. He instigated what Rolling Stone (in 1972) 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."

As a multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle) and solo entertainer, John McEuen plays to the boomer hippie crowd, the traditional/bluegrass and folk audience, as well as the older country audience, and now the younger crowd is showing up to see where it all came from. Twenty percent are under the age of 30.

John has made over 40 albums (six solo) that have earned four platinum and four gold recognition awards, Grammy nominations, CMA and ACM awards, Western Heritage Award, Emmy nomination, and IBMA record of the year award. In addition, John has performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. He has produced over 200 concerts (his first one being with Bob Dylan in 1965).

John has known and worked with Steve Martin since high school to the present, and was featured on a two-hour A&E TV special about Steve in February, 2006. John scored Steve's television specials, taught him how to play the banjo, and arranged his music; The NGDB was the band on Steve's hit song, "King Tut." In 2009 Rounder Records released the highly acclaimed music album by Steve Martin, produced by John (he also plays several instruments on it) called The Crow - new songs for the 5-string banjo; the music is all original Steve Martin music.

John's own XM Satellite radio show, Acoustic Traveller on channel 15, runs two times a month.

He created the music scores for fourteen film/television projects, including the Emmy nominated 10-hour mini-series for Warner Bros. 'The Wild West.'

John has also raised his six kids (five boys and a girl) ages between 29-39, and a 25-year-old stepson.

Some of the artists John McEuen has performed or recorded with include: Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Jerry Garcia, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Phish, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kevin Nealon, Alison Krauss, Bill Cosby, Stephen Wright, Mark OConnor, Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, Maybelle Carter, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Steve Vai, Doc Watson, Jimmy Buffett, The Smothers Brothers, Rowan & Martin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bobby Sherman, Jose Feliciano, Allman Brothers, John Denver, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Jack Benny, Glen Campbell, Steve Goodman, Waylon Jennings, Robin Williams, Little River Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Doobie Brothers, Andy Williams, Merle Travis, Vassar Clements, Dizzy Gillespie, The Osmond Brothers, Everly Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Gary Morris, Doug Kershaw, Michael Martin Murphey, The Doors, Donovan, Lee Marvin, Ramblin Jack Elliot, David Amram, Arlo Guthrie, America, Bill Monroe, and Asleep at the Wheel.

From Wikipedia