The Del McCoury Band led by an iconic, award-winning guitarist plays St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday night. The Local Spins interview with the influential bluegrass icon.
Extending a Robust Bluegrass Legacy: Del McCoury and his band. (Courtesy Photo)
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Even if you aren’t into bluegrass, most Grand Rapids music fans know all about Ionia County native Billy Strings and his busy summer of multiple sit-ins around the West Michigan community that he once again calls home.
For three years running starting in 2021, the masterful guitarist was named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year.
But in 2024, that title went to another legendary live bluegrass performer who’s been picking since before Billy was even born. And on Thursday night, this most awarded artist in bluegrass history will perform in Grand Rapids: the one and only Del McCoury.
The Del McCoury Band performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 5) at St. Cecilia Music Center. Tickets, $44-$74, available online here.
During a career covering six decades, he’s performed on stage with the likes of Billy Strings, Phish, David “the Dawg” Grisman, Bela Fleck, Old Crow Medicine Show and Molly Tuttle, among many others.
Back in West Michigan: Del McCoury on stage at Meijer Gardens in 2015. (Photo/Anna Sink(
In a phone interview with Local Spins earlier this week, McCoury not only reminisced about the milestones in his lengthy career, but hailed the current popularity of the bluegrass genre, which has ascended to new heights in recent years and captivated millions of younger listeners.
“The state of bluegrass right now really is great,” he conceded. “I don’t know if it’s because back when I was playing or when I was starting out, there was just Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. And then there was the Osborne Brothers.
“You know, they’re a little older than me and Jimmy Martin, you know, and those guys, Jim and Jesse and there were only a few professional bands really. Nowadays there’s so many of them. And I think the reason is so easy for new, for young musicians to learn. All they have to do is look on the computer and they can see. They can see what these musicians are doing with their fingers and all that, you know? And it makes it so much easier for them to learn the timing and notes and just everything.”
Indeed, learning and perfecting songs by other artists a half-century ago was a far different animal.
“You know, we used to have to pick up the needle on the record and put it back over, and then pick it up and put it back over here and do it again,” McCoury recalled. “And just keep practicing until it sounds right.”
A CAREER OF MILESTONES STARTING WITH BILL MONROE’S BLUE GRASS BOYS
The musical journey for McCoury, now 85, really began when he joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1963. Widely hailed as the “Father of Bluegrass,” Monroe not only shifted McCoury from banjo to guitar, but also elevated him to the role of lead singer. This experience provided McCoury with an invaluable education in bluegrass, learning directly from one of the genre’s greatest pioneers.
Decades later, Del continues to sell out shows, playing alongside his sons, Ronnie on mandolin and Rob on banjo. Rounded out by Alan Bartram on bass and Grammy Award winner Jason Carter on the fiddle, the band continues to make hit records.
The band’s latest album, “Songs of Love and Life,” is nominated for a Grammy Award for best bluegrass album — a recording that honors bluegrass roots while also exploring new creative frontiers.
From heartfelt originals to covers of classics by Kenny Rogers and Elvis Presley, the 15-track collection is a testament to the genre’s versatility and Del’s enduring curiosity. One of the album’s highlights, “She’s Heavenly,” features the addition of Molly Tuttle’s lyrics which blend beautifully with Del and Ronnie’s vocals.
Improvisation and Interaction: McCoury usually plays without a set list. (Courtesy Photo)
McCoury said he “originally cut the track without her” but his son, Ronnie, insisted he “get Molly to sing on that one. … So we called her and she was glad to come in and do it. She recorded that song with us and then she wanted me to come out at the Ryman (Auditorium in Nashville on Sept. 16) and do a song with her which I was happy to do.” (McCoury, of course, has a long history linked to the historic Ryman Auditorium, first playing there in 1963 when working for Monroe as lead singer and guitar player.)
For Thursday’s Grand Rapids show, fans can expect to hear songs from the new album as well as make requests for songs from McCoury’s vast library of originals and covers. McCoury rarely creates a set list before a show, something that leads to improvisation and interaction with the crowd.
Although it’s doubtful fans will get yet another unexpected sit-in from Billy Strings on Thursday, McCoury conceded there’s one musician he wishes he’d had a chance to collaborate with on stage.
“I’ll tell you what, probably the only one it would be is (iconic banjoist) Earl Scruggs. Of course, Earl, he passed away several years back, but he was the one that I heard when I was just a kid, and I thought, ‘Man, that’s what I want to be,'” McCoury recalled.
“When I heard Earl Scruggs, I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to try to do that whatever that guy is doing. And so he was really the he was the one that got me to play music. I began seriously playing, because from the time I heard him, which would have been around the age of 11, my dad got me a banjo. I played it for 11 years till I went to work for Bill Monroe and the put me on guitar because he needed a guitar player and a lead singer, and he figured I could do that.”
While McCoury has played in Michigan numerous times over the years, this will be one of the few times he’s played in Grand Rapids.
“Having Del McCoury and his band in the house on December 5 will be a rousing celebration of bluegrass music,” said St. Cecilia Music Center executive director Cathy Holbrook. “We are thrilled to welcome such a legend to our series.”
Get details and concert tickets online at scmcgr.org.
VIDEO: Del McCoury Band, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”
VIDEO: Del McCoury and Billy Strings, “Can’t You Hear Me Calling”
VIDEO: Del McCoury Band (NPR Tiny Desk Concert)
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