J. D. Crowe

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J. D. Crowe
J. D. Crowe performing with the New South on August 8, 2008
J. D. Crowe performing with the New South on August 8, 2008
Background information
Birth nameJames Dee Crowe
Born (1937-08-27) August 27, 1937 (age 84)
Lexington, Kentucky
GenresBluegrass, progressive bluegrass
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsBanjo, vocals, Guitar
Years active1956–2015
LabelsRounder, Starday, Rebel, , King Bluegrass
Associated actsNew South
Websitejdcroweflashback.com

James Dee Crowe (born August 27, 1937, in Lexington, Kentucky) is an American banjo player and bluegrass band leader. His 1st job playing music was given to him by Raymond "Curly" Parker when he was only a teenager. 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 1954.[1] He recorded with Jimmy Martin between 1956 and 1960.[2] In 1961, Crowe formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, principally performing in the Lexington region.[3]

In 1971,[4] 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.

Kentucky Educational Television in 2008 aired a biography of James Dee Crowe, A Kentucky Treasure: The James Dee Crowe Story, produced by H. Russell Farmer.[5]

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.[6]

Discography[]

  • 1968: Bluegrass Holiday (Lemco)
  • 1969: The Model Church (Lemco)
  • 1971: Ramblin' Boy (Lemco) – reissued as Blackjack (Rebel)
  • 1973: Bluegrass Evolution (Starday)
  • 1973: Bluegrass Holiday (King Bluegrass)
  • 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.[7]

He has also been featured on Tim Farmer's television show, Homemade Jam in Episode 101.[8]

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[]

  1. ^ Godbey, Marty (2011). Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. p. 31. ISBN 9781283251167.
  2. ^ Godbey, Marty (2011). Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 45-63. ISBN 9781283251167.
  3. ^ Godbey, Marty (2011). Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 64-65. ISBN 9781283251167.
  4. ^ Kentucky Encyclopedia, p.243
  5. ^ "A Kentucky Treasure: The James Dee Crowe Story". KET-Kentucky Educational Television.
  6. ^ "Bluegrass Heritage Foundation official website". Bluegrassheritage.com. 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "Legendary Banjo Picker J.D. Crowe on Song of the Mountains | Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News". Cybergrass.com.
  8. ^ "Acts: Tim Farmers Homemade Jam". Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.

External links[]


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