Del McCoury

Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively. He became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2003. In June 2010, he received a National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts and in 2011 he was elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

Early life and career McCoury was born in Bakersville, North Carolina. His mother, Hazel, sang and played several instruments. His brother Jerry plays bass. His brother G. C. taught Del to play the guitar and sparked his interest in bluegrass music. The McCoury family moved to York County, Pennsylvania in 1941.

Inspired by Earl Scruggs, McCoury learned to play the banjo. He purchased his first banjo, a Gibson, and joined a band called The Stevens Brothers. He later played with Keith Daniels and the Blue Ridge Ramblers. They recorded an album for the Empire label in 1962. They already had a banjo player, so McCoury played guitar and sang. During his tenure with the group they had several appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and recorded six songs for Decca Records. In December 1967, he recorded his first album, Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass. They relocated to Nashville, Tennessee as they began to attract attention. Fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub joined in 1992. Alan Bartram joined the band as bassist in 2005. McCoury became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in October 2003.

McCoury was also one of many performers at The Clearwater Concert at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009. The event celebrated the 90th birthday of Pete Seeger.

McCoury has influenced a great number of bands, including Phish, with whom he has shared the stage several times, and who have covered his songs. He has also performed with The String Cheese Incident and Donna the Buffalo, and recorded with Steve Earle. McCoury has covered songs by artists as diverse as The Lovin' Spoonful, Tom Petty, and Richard Thompson. His television appearances include Late Night with Conan O'Brien and the Late Show with David Letterman.

In June 2010, McCoury received a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts in the field of folk and traditional arts, including a stipend of $25,000.

In 2012, he joined the 11th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers.

DelFest

In 2008, Del McCoury started DelFest, an annual bluegrass festival in Cumberland, Maryland, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds. Del McCoury Band plays every night at each of the festivals.

The 5th annual DelFest occurred in May 2012, (nine total He was a recipient of a 2010 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. McCoury received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, in 2015. 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.

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards

1990 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury 1991 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury 1992 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury 1994 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 1994 Album of the Year – A Deeper Shade of Blue; Del McCoury 1996 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 1996 Entertainer of the Year – Del McCoury 1996 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury 1997 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 1997 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 1997 Album of the Year – True Life Blues – The Songs of Bill Monroe; Sam Bush, Vassar Clements, Mike Compton, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Pat Enright, Greg Garing, Richard Greene, David Grier, David Grisman, John Hartford, Bobby Hicks, Kathy Kallick, Laurie Lewis, Mike Marshall, Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Jim Nunally, Scott Nygaard, Mollie O'Brien, Tim O'Brien, Alan O'Bryant, Herb Pedersen, Todd Phillips, John Reischman, Peter Rowan, Craig Smith, Chris Thile, Tony Trischka, Roland White. 1998 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 1999 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 2000 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 2002 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 2002 Song of the Year – 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; The Del McCoury Band (artists), Richard Thompson (writer) 2003 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 2004 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band 2004 Album of the Year – It's Just the Night; The Del McCoury Band 2024 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band

Grammy Awards McCoury has won two Grammy Awards from fifteen nominations. 2006 Best Bluegrass Album – The Company We Keep 2014 Best Bluegrass Album – Streets of Baltimore