J.D. Crowe and the New South

January 2, 2010 on 2:33 am | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival is proud to announce that J.D. Crowe and the New South will be performing at Sally Gap 2010!  J.D. will be closing the show on Friday night, and we know it will be a show you won’t want to miss.  We’ve all been big fans of J.D. Crowe’s since we started listening to Bluegrass, and if you’ve never heard him and the New South, you’re in for a treat!

J.D. Crowe has been a fixture in Bluegrass music since the 1970s, and his band, the New South, has featured some of the best talent in the genre.  Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Douglas were all members of the original New South, and are shown with J.D. in the picture below.

Along with these notables, other Bluegrass greats have been members of the New South.  Jimmy Gaudreau, Richard Bennett, Don Rigsby, and Phil Leadbetter have all played in J.D.’s band, and they all went on to successful careers in the genre; which proves J.D.’s judge of young talent.  Probably the most famous past member of the New South was Keith Whitley, who played with J.D. in the mid-to-late ’70s.  Keith Whitley went on to become a world-famous Country singer, whose sorrowful legacy remains one of the most poignant in Country music history.  Below is the cover of the second album Whitley recorded with the New South, with Whitley standing second from the right.

Today, J.D. Crowe is still touring and playing and still attracting some of the best young talent in the industry.  The current New South features Guitarist and vocalist Ricky Wasson; on mandolin, tenor, and high-lead vocals is Dwight McCall; Steve Thomas joined the group in 2008, playing fiddle as well as contributing to the sound vocally; also new in 2008 was the addition of John Bowman on upright bass and lead/harmony vocals.  Below is a picture of the current J.D. Crowe and the New South.

We can’t wait to have this legendary entertainer at the beautiful Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival!  In the meantime, if you’re interested in more information about this great band, go to their website.