John McEuen "A Life In Music"

A broad spectrum of music Americana, with a bit of "the old country" music thrown in for good measure, has made John McEuen known as America's instrumental poet. His musical impressions from over 40 years of worldwide travels are brought to the stage with performing expertise that sets him apart from others, and focuses on acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin.

A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in summer of 1966, after 21 years began to broaden his artistic pursuits. Multi-instrumentalist McEuen ventured into varied musical genres, taking his music and other talents to different formats including television specials, film scoring, unusual award winning CDs and concert production while keeping up an active road schedule both solo and (as of 2002) again with his lifetime partners in music.

Onstage, McEuen incorporates his vintage instruments which he has taken to international venues, with instrumental wizardry that keeps the audience entranced, whether he is entertaining them live or via CD.

His love for the history of acoustic music and his joy at being onstage is evident to all those who see him and hear him . . . there's never a dull moment when McEuen is on!

With his band, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, he has made over 30 albums, including the platinum-selling Will The Circle Be Unbroken, which was instigated by John and and conceived by the band's manager/producer (John's brother) Bill McEuen in 1971 for United Artists.

  John McEuen
facebook/www.johnmceuen.com

Is a founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -  now in their 46th year.

In 2010 John as a solo was honored with The Best of the West Performer Award, presented by the Folk Alliance Region West. 

In 1971 McEuen instigated 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 -  in 2006 Circle was named by CMT as one of the 40 most important albums in Country Music, also inducted into  the Library of Congress in 2004 as an 'historic recording'.

The Sirius/XM radio show - John McEuen's Acoustic Traveller show - is now in its 5th year. Another new show, The Bridge, started also this year.

Newly released album on Mesa Bluemoon Recordings with sons Jonathan and Nathan - The McEuen Sessions - for all the good - this unusual combination comes together for their first recording as a trio. 5 star reviews both in press and on Amazon. They are featured on Ram Country at Yahoo!.com :
http://music.yahoo.com/programs/ram-country/the-mceuens-grand-design-29307947.html

John has made over 40 albums (6 solo) that have earned 4 platinum and 5 gold recognition awards, Grammy nominations, CMA and ACM awards, Emmy nomination, IBMA record of the year award, and performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. 

Released winter 2007: the Live in Las Vegas concert with the jam band Phish, features John as a guest musician.

2012 The Allman Bros. Band released Live at the Beacon Theater, featuring John sitting in with them. 

2010 GRAMMY HALL OF FAME:     Mr. Bojangles by NGDB was inducted in to the Grammy Hall of Fame as an important Historical Recording.

McEuen did music scores for three documentary films in 2008/09: Maynard Dixon - Art & Spirit ; Sizzle - a global warming comedy; and Losing the West.

The Music of the Wild West CD- Produced by John, was honored with the Western Heritage Award. Available on Varese/Sarabande label, John calls it “the Will the Circle Be Unbroken of 1890.” (McEuen has scored 13 film projects, including Emmy nominated 10-hour mini-series The Wild West for Warner Bros.,)

Produced and directed by John, also on Varese/Sarabande is the documentary film The Dillards - A Night In the Ozarks, , shot on 5 film cameras with live music. It captures his early mentors at their best. 

McEuen was presented with the 1994 Uncle Dave Macon Award for his excellence in and pursuit of preserving historic music.

2011 McEuen starts SyndicatedNews.Net - an entertainment, broad news internet AND print service. He features interviews he has done with celebrities as well world news covered in a different manner than others. Original content by many contributors from judges to health to music reviewers to psychics. 
He is CEO.

He has continually performed - over 8,000 shows - and traveled 3 million miles to do it … and performed on over 300 television shows, both with the band, others, and solo, as well as producing shows for television.

2010 GRAMMY WINNER: John's production of Steve Martin - The Crow new songs for the 5-string banjo won Best Bluegrass Album. John assembled: Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Mary Black, Earl Scruggs, Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, David Amram, Hans Olson, and others. It held the #1 spot on the Bluegrass charts for 7 months and has been in the top 5 for 2 years.

Having known Martin since their teenage years working in Disneyland, McEuen was recently featured in an A & E biography two-hour special about Steve. (John also did the music score for Steve's first two NBC television specials; in 1977 The NGDB was 'the band' on Steve's King Tut).

John is the only California musician to perform solo on the Grand Ole Opry, also play it several times with his band NGDB, and then be a featured guest “sittin' in” with several of the Opry member acts - and recorded with Nashville's Country music creators, and had records in the pop and country charts. He also brought Steve Martin to Nashville and performed with him on his Opry debut in 2009.

Released '07 - the Sesame Street DVD - Children's Favorite Country Songs. McEuen sings and plays Oh, Susannah with 50 goats, a cow and two dozen kids (human ones)! Also featured are Lee Ann Womack,  Alison Krauss, Garth Brooks .

John has raised his 6 kids (5 boys and a girl) now between 32-42, and a 28-year-old stepson and has 7 grandchildren. 

Manassas - End of Innocence plays at the Manassas Battlefield Park in Virginia featuring a music score by McEuen. Written by Ray Herbeck, Jr. and directed by Ben Burtt.

Some of the artists McEuen has performed or recorded with include: Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kevin Nealon, Alison Krauss, Bill Cosby, Stephen Wright, Mark O'Connor, Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, Little Richard, Maybelle Carter, Levon Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Steve Vai, Doc Watson, Jimmy Buffet, The Smothers Brothers, Rowan & Martin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alan Arkin, 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, The Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, 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, Asleep at the Wheel, Aerosmith… and others.

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The Midnight Ramble w/ Levon Helm     May, 2010
At 4 PM, the crowd began to gather for a BBQ outside Levon Helm's house, finally clearing out after five hours of music, at 12:30 AM. The big birthday gift, to Levon and some 200 attendees, was John McEuen's performance.

A founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, McEuen captivated the crowd with banjo, guitar, fiddle and vocals, starting off with selections from the NGDB's landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which was recently introduced into the Library of Congress as one of the most important albums of all time.

Some performers just play. McEuen, who excels on anything stringed, also offers details and relevant historical facts before, during and after the song, along with some very, very funny patter. McEuen described “Turkey in the Straw” (1872) as “the first rap song,” and proceeded to fiddle through a musical history lesson. Sometimes singing, occasionally just speaking lyrics, McEuen fluidly traded off guitar, fiddle and banjo, only three of the seven or more instruments he plays, at one point dueting on fiddle with Levon Helm Band's own string genius, Larry Campbell.

Composer David Amram, on pennywhistle and tabla, joined on several tunes. McEuen, who responded to a standing ovation saying, “Hey, I'm just coming back to get my stuff,” encored with what he introduced as “the best song from the '60s, something both rednecks and hippies like”-the theme from The Beverly Hillbillies.

The Levon Helm Band and its singular muscular sound followed, starting out with “The Shape I'm In.” Helm moved relentlessly through more than 20 songs, intermittently joined by guests Donald Fagan, Amran and McEuen, who raised keyboard/accordion/vocals Brian Mitchell's already high bar on Diggy Liggy Li,” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Larry Campbell on guitar, flanked by American Beauties Teresa Williams and Amy Helm, sang their hauntingly beautiful version of the Dead's “The Attics of My Mind” to the evening's only hush.

Birthday cake and a couple vocal performances by Levon Helm capped off a memorable evening, but John McEuen's performance  remains my highlight.

-Suzanne Cadgene
Elmore Magazine, NYC