J. D. Crowe
| J. D. Crowe | |
|---|---|
 J. D. Crowe performing with the New South on August 8, 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Dee Crowe |
| Born |
August 27, 1937 Lexington, Kentucky |
| Genres | Bluegrass, progressive bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Banjo, vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1956–2015 |
| Labels | Rounder, Starday, Rebel, Lemco |
| Associated acts | New South |
| Website |
jdcroweflashback |
James Dee Crowe (born August 27, 1937, in Lexington, Kentucky) is an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. He first became known during his four-year stint with Jimmy Martin in the 1950s.
Biography
Crowe began playing the banjo early on and was offered a job with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys in mid-1950s. He cut his first recordings with Jimmy Martin on December 1, 1956, and his last on August 17, 1960, recording a total of 33 songs on Decca Records. In the late 1960s, Crowe formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, principally performing in the Lexington region. By the early 1970s, Crowe changed the band's name to The New South and included material from rock and country music sources. Crowe's New South band is widely considered one of the most influential bluegrass groups since the 1970s. Many influential musicians have been a part of the band over the years, including Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Doyle Lawson, and Bobby Slone.
Kentucky Educational Television in 2008 aired a biography of J.D. Crowe "A Kentucky Treasure: The J.D. Crowe Story" produced by H. Russell Farmer.[1]
Crowe received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation of Dallas, Texas, on October 15, 2011. The award is bestowed upon bluegrass artists who do an exemplary job of advancing traditional bluegrass music and bringing it to new audiences while preserving its character and heritage.[2]
Discography
- 1968: Bluegrass Holiday (Lemco)
- 1969: The Model Church (Lemco)
- 1971: Ramblin' Boy (Lemco) – reissued as Blackjack (Rebel)
- 1973: Bluegrass Evolution (Starday)
- 1975: J.D. Crowe & The New South (Rounder)
- 1977: You Can Share My Blanket (Rounder)
- 1978: My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame (Rounder)
- 1981: Somewhere Between (Rounder)
- 1982: Live in Japan (Rounder)
- 1986: Straight Ahead (Rounder)
- 1994: Flashback (Rounder)
- 1999: Come on Down to My World (Rounder)
- 2006: Lefty's Old Guitar (Rounder)
Media appearances
Crowe took part in a brief banjo jam session on the episode "Sawmill Slasher" of the Animal Planet television series Call of the Wildman which aired August 5, 2012.
On September 6, 2014, Crowe came out of retirement and performed with Wildfire at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia, for the Song of the Mountains PBS program.[3]
He has also been featured on Tim Farmer's television show, Homemade Jam in Episode 101.[4]
On September 21, 2015, Crowe was the featured guest on the radio series "An Intimate Evening With Eddie Stubbs" for WSM (AM) at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN.
References
- ↑ "A Kentucky Treasure: The J.D. Crowe Story". KET-Kentucky Educational Television.
- ↑ "Bluegrass Heritage Foundation official website". 2010. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
- ↑ "Legendary Banjo Picker J.D. Crowe on Song of the Mountains".
- ↑ "Acts - Tim Farmer's Homemade Jam".
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to J. D. Crowe. |
- Home page - "J. D. Crowe and the New South".
- Feature story on J. D. Crowe - Lupton, John. "J.D. Crowe plays "Lefty's Old Guitar" - November 2006". Country Standard Time.
- J.D. Crowe Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2016)