A Chat with the Indelible Del McCoury
McCoury’s legacy is undeniable—and still resonates powerfully
By Eric Frank
December 7, 2017
This week, the living legend who set the record straight on bluegrass music, Del McCoury, will tour throughout the state of Colorado. Having kicked off the run last night in Aspen, Del will perform at the Strings Music Festival tonight in Steamboat Springs, followed by two nights at Denver's Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom where he'll be joined by his sons Ronnie and Rob and The Travelin' McCoury's.
Del was kind enough to take a call from us as he and his crew headed toward Colorado, having just completed the West Coast leg of his current tour. Even in his established age, and after more than thirty IBMA Awards (International Bluegrass Music Association), two Grammys, the Bluegrass Star Award and made-member of the Grand Ole Opry, McCoury sounds enthusiastic, humble and genuinely excited to be on the road making music for his fans.
"I'm tryin' to slow down!" Del exclaimed, when asked about his schedule. "I still feel good, ya know. I just keep gettin' it."
Indeed he does, as Del's 2018 schedule is already filled with dates through summer (including at least one more Colorado date already on the books). "The more I try to slow down, the more ideas my manager has for me to do!"
Those ideas have birthed DelFest, an annual bluegrass festival in Cumberland, Maryland that began in 2008 at the Allegany County Fairgrounds, where Del plays every night. Some of the biggest names in the business have performed the festival, including David Grisman, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Steve Martin, Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan, Trampled By Turtles and Greensky Bluegrass, among scores of others.
"It's fun to keep it fresh. I think my next date after the first of the year is with David Grisman. We've been doin' a lot of dates together, man! Before that I did a bunch of dates with Sam Bush. I know a lot of these bands from California, played dates with Drew Emmit and Vince [Herman] and String Cheese and Leftover Salmon. I've played a lot of dates with Hot Rize too."
After touching on the younger generation of players and another incredible picker, Billy Strings, I inquired with Del if he's been influenced by the younger guys the way he's been so influential to them.
"I think I'm too old to learn, Eric! When you get past 70 you can't learn nothin' (laughs). But I enjoy playing around all these younger guys. We have a good time together too, ya know?"
There is a certainty in McCoury's voice, a pure and unadulterated truth that music is his home. Music is his family (literally), his escape, and his center. From his start with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in the early 1960's straight through to today, Del has stayed true to his craft while maintaining a light-hearted attitude, a combination that has kept things fresh after decades of playing.
"We really never know what we're gonna do, ya know? My band, we don't know. We don't have a set-list or anything. We just do requests or whatever. It don't get monotonous for the audience, or the band, or me. Sometimes, I think 'wow, I wonder if I can remember this song' [because] I take requests from the audience, so sometimes they'll request a song from 30 years ago. It keeps you on your toes and kinda interesting."
I had one final question for Del that I promised a buddy I would ask (Ganno!):
"What in the hell are you doin' to fix your hair so perfectly?!"
After a long laugh, Del was kind enough to share. "You know, I'm kind of fortunate in that way! It just kinda does what it wants to and I don't have to touch it (laughs)! But no, I do have to comb it 'cause when I get up out of bed in the mornin' I could scare a ghost!"
Del will be heading into the studio immediately following this tour to work on a new record, as will "the boys" in The Travelin' McCoury's. So as the chapters in the book of Del are still being written, you can add to the script by catching the living legend live in Colorado this week.
Del McCoury Colorado Tour
December 7 - Strings Music Festival (Steamboat Springs)
December 8 - Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom w/ Travelin' McCoury's (Denver)
December 9 - Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom w/ Travelin' McCoury's (Denver)