Photo courtesy the Press House
Bluegrass icon Del McCoury has spent much of his decades-long career as a lead singer standing at the front of his band with a Martin guitar. But this wasn’t always the path the Pennsylvania native planned to follow. At first, he says, he didn’t want anything to do with the instrument.
After about 10 years of playing banjo, McCoury was hired by Bill Monroe — known as the father of bluegrass — as a lead singer and guitar player in the1960s. He says he felt “pushed into” playing guitar, which he didn’t like at all at the time.
“I was just glad to be working for Bill Monroe,” McCoury says, having been one of the singer’s “Bluegrass Boys” in the 1960s. “He would sit there telling me, ‘Now, you like this job better than playing banjo.’ In my mind I thought, ‘He’s wrong there, but I’m not going to say nothing to him.’ ”
The change seems to have worked out, however, having led to the creation of the Del McCoury Band decades later. The group took shape in the 1980s with the addition of McCoury’s sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury. Ronnie and Rob are also members of The Travelin' McCourys, who will follow their father's set at the HoustonFest bluegrass music festival in Galax on June 9. A show set for June 8 in Hopewell was cancelled due to a scheduling issue.
McCoury’s sons aren’t his only relatives participating in the family’s musical endeavors. His grandson Evan McCoury performed with his band, The Broomestix, at DelFest — Del McCoury’s music festival — in 2016.
The festival, held in Cumberland, Maryland, every year since 2008, took place from May 24 to May 27. During that same weekend, The Del McCoury Band released its latest album, “Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass,” on McCoury Music.
Not much has changed about McCoury’s music over the years. His award-winning lineup, inspired by Bill Monroe’s group, hasn’t changed much either, still consisting of a banjo, a mandolin, a guitar, a fiddle and a bass.
“I’ve really never changed that makeup of my band,” McCoury says. “That’s considered the traditional sound, and that’s what I like.”
Bluegrass fans like it, too. McCoury and his band were selected Entertainer of Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association nine times. In 2006, the band won a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy for “The Company We Keep.”
At shows, audience members still request McCoury’s early songs such as “Bluest Man in Town,” “High on the Mountain” and “Rain and Snow.” Typically, requests make up the majority of the band's performance.
“You’d think it would be old people that are requesting them, and it’s not. It’s young people,” McCoury says.
The 79-year-old says it’s good to know his older fans are still with him, while his newer followers help to preserve his musical legacy.
“You have to have the young people coming out,” McCoury says, “because if you don’t, your sound is going to die out.”
The Del McCoury Band performs at HoustonFest in Galax on June 9 at 7:20 p.m. $30. 276-236-9908 or houstonfestgalax.com.