John McEuen brings us a special show of songs and stories, sharing his incredible 50-year career with the trend-setting Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken record in a multi-media show spanning nearly 60  years!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Les Thompson, fellow Nitty Gritty co-founder, on bass, joins in the music and stories of ‘band life’ and more. Danny Kniceky /mandolin (Winfield 1st place winner on guitar and mandolin) his hot notes are complemented by his great vocal. Marty Fair will hold down the guitar slot as John says: “in his impickable manner.”

Surprise guest, John’s Nashville friend, hit song writer Even Stevens, is doing a cameo appearance with the stories about how some of his iconic music came to be… I Love a Rainy Night, When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman, and Drivin’ my Life Away to name a few.

All join host John McEuen, with his banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin (in front of the screen) for the hits and stories behind the NGDB music, leading up to that magic time when three generations came together. The Library of Congress inducted ‘…Circle…’ as one of “…the most important American recordings” (also, it’s in the Gram­­my Hall of Fame). More notes than you can shake a pick at – Bluegrass in overdrive!

John’s new album – The Newsman, a man of record – a spoken word/story album (on Compass Records) features John’s new music behind stories from America’s past.

Some of the show’s music includes:    Mr. Bojangles         Some of Shelly’s Blues   Dance Little Jean         Keep on the Sunny Side   Will the Circle Be Unbroken     House at Pooh Corner   Earl’s Breakdown  Wreck on the Hiway   Cannonball Rag   Dismal Swamp     Way Downtown   Acoustic Traveller    Fingerbuster    Long Hard Road    Grand Ole Opry song   The Mountain Whippoorwill.   Fly Trouble  

When John initiated the Will the Circle Be Unbroken album with his brother William (NGDB’s manager, record producer, photographer), he brought together the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the icons of Bluegrass, Country, and West coast country rock. John asked Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Maybelle Carter, and Merle Travis, to record with the band. Earl (and his wife, Louise) then helped connect John and William to Jimmy Martin, Roy Acuff, Bashful Brother  Oswald, Norman Blake, Junior Huskey, and Vassar Clements. Six hot 1971 August Nashville recording days produced this 36-song benchmark album.   

His multi-media show (archival photographs and

8mm footage from 1967!), “Circle…”  and brother William’s session photos, and NGDB music takes us on his near 60-year journey – interwoven with Dirt Band favorites, hot bluegrass, and new music

“…Circle…” is in the Library of Congress and The Grammy Hall of Fame

John was inducted in the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame, 2018. He received the 2024 Josie Musician’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grand Ole Opry.  Strangely, in 1915 England the first recording of Will the Circle Be Unbroken was made…  by William McEwan