The Del McCoury Band is a Grammy Award-winning American bluegrass band.
History Originally the band was called Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals with Del on guitar and his brother Jerry on bass. The band went through a number of changes in personnel until the 1980s when the band solidified its line-up, adding McCoury's sons, Ronnie and Rob McCoury on mandolin and banjo, respectively.Kingsbury, Paul, The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press, 1998. p. 335 In 1988, the "Dixie Pals" name was dropped in favor of the current name. Fiddler Tad Marks and bass player Mike Brantley joined in the early 1990s while the band became a national touring act. The addition of fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub in 1992 created a lineup that was unchanged for 13 years. Bub left the band in 2005 and was replaced by Alan Bartram. Carter announced in early 2025 that he was leaving the band to focus on his solo career.
Awards In 1999 the Del McCoury band was named "Entertainer of the Year" at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.Bluegrass Awards Crown McCoury,
In 2004 they were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for It's Just the Night, and in 2006 they won that category for The Company We Keep.
Collaborations The band recorded with Steve Earle on "I Still Carry You Around" on his 1997 album El Corazón. They shared co-billing on his 1999 album The Mountain.
The band has also often performed in recent years with the Lee Boys, with setlists mixing bluegrass, funk and gospel with extended jams on many songs.
Travelin' McCourys The Travelin' McCourys are an offshoot of the Del McCoury Band, featuring all current (2009) members of the band minus Del, augmented by guitarist Cody Kilby on live performances.
The Travelin' McCourys also often play joint concerts with the Lee Boys.
Band members
Current members Del McCoury - vocals, guitar (1967–present) Ronnie McCoury - vocals, mandolin (1981–present) Rob McCoury - vocals, banjo (1987–present) Alan Bartram - vocals, bass (August 2005–present) Christian Ward – vocals, fiddle (2025–present)
Former members Jerry McCoury - bass (1967–1989) Billy Baker - fiddle (1967) Mike Brantley - bass (1989–1992) Tad Marks - fiddle (1990–1992) Mike Bub - bass (May 1992–June 2005) Dennis Crouch - bass (July 2005) Jason Carter - fiddle (1992–2025) Dick Smith - banjo, mandolin Paul Silvius - banjo Sonny Miller - fiddle Dick Staber - mandolin
Discography
Albums Year Album Peak chart positions US Grass US Country US US Indie US Heat US Christ CAN Country 1992 Blue Side of Town — — — — — — — 1993 A Deeper Shade of Blue — — — — — — — 1996 The Cold Hard Facts — — — — — — — 1999 The Mountain (with Steve Earle) — 19 133 — — — 14 The Family — — — — — — — 2001 Del and The Boys 11 50 — — — — — 2003 It's Just the Night 4 47 — 32 48 — — 2005 The Company We Keep 2 59 — — — — — 2006 The Promised Land 2 61 — 46 39 24 — 2008 Moneyland 1 51 — — — — — 2009 Family Circle 4 — — — — — — 2011 American Legacies(with Preservation Hall Jazz Band) 4 — — — — — — 2012 Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe 6 — — — — — — 2013 The Streets of Baltimore 5 69 — — — — — 2016 Del and Woody 1 42 — — 17 — — 2017 Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass — — — — — — —2022 Almost Proud2024 Songs of Love and Life "—" denotes releases that failed to chart
Music videos Year Title Director 2003 "My Love Will Not Change" 2003 "She Can't Burn Me Now"
Contributions 2007: Ronnie McCoury - Little Mo' McCoury (McCoury Music) 2007: Various Artists: Song of America - "The Times They Are a-Changin'"
References
External links Discography at Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings Official website Del McCoury Band collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive