John Cowan (born August 24, 1953) is an American progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival . Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original bassist Ebo Walker and was noted as being the only member of New Grass Revival not to come from a bluegrass background. He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of New Grass Revival.
15-602: After the disbandment of the New Grass Revival , Cowan released a soul record of covers, called Soul'd Out , for the Sugar Hill Records label in 1990. Cowan appeared as a duo with Sam Bush on the PBS series, Lonesome Pine Special in 1992, and also appeared with other artists on the program. From 1988 to 1996, Cowan teamed with Rusty Young of Poco , Bill Lloyd of Foster & Lloyd and Pat Simmons of
30-506: A stroke). In 2017, he released an album with fellow Doobie Brother Ed Toth and Chicago guitarist Keith Howland titled Button. New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush , Courtney Johnson , Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins , John Cowan , Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn . They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles. Their highest-charting single
45-690: A variety of genres, including music by Jerry Lee Lewis (" Great Balls of Fire "), the Beatles (" Get Back "; " I'm Down "), and Bob Marley (" One Love/People Get Ready "), plus protest songs (" One Tin Soldier "). This break from bluegrass tradition was not well received in some quarters—some thought it was not the way Bill Monroe meant for bluegrass to be played. "Our reason for doing the newer-type music wasn't pretentious or irreverent or sarcastic or disrespectful," explained Curtis Burch. "We just felt like people were ready to see that you could really expand
60-545: Is " Callin' Baton Rouge ", which peaked at No. 37 on the U.S. country charts in 1989 and was a Top 5 country hit for Garth Brooks five years later. In 2020, the group were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame . The origins of New Grass Revival lay in the Bluegrass Alliance, which Sam Bush (vocals, fiddle, guitar, mandolin) and Courtney Johnson (banjo, vocals) joined in 1970. At
75-871: The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee to benefit his widow. The concert included a number of musicians and groups, such as John Hartford , Hot Rize , Tim O'Brien , Vassar Clements , Del McCoury Band , Ricky Skaggs , Pete Rowan , Jerry Douglas and others. In 1997, when Garth Brooks was invited on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to perform "Do What You Gotta Do", a song written by Pat Flynn, he asked Flynn, Bush, Cowan, and Fleck to join him in performing it. Since that performance, Flynn has worked with both Cowan and Fleck, but not Bush. Likewise, Bush has also worked with Cowan and Fleck on numerous occasions. Bush and Cowan have also played with Burch. In April 2007, Bush, Fleck, Cowan, and Flynn stepped into
90-604: The British rock band the Moody Blues : Moody Bluegrass : A Nashville Tribute to The Moody Blues (2004), and Moody Bluegrass TWO... Much Love (2011). In 2006, Cowan left Sugar Hill and went to the independent label Pinecastle Records . In 2008, Cowan was chosen to participate in a movie on the life of Billy Graham, entitled 'Billy: The Early Years.' In May 2010, Cowan rejoined The Doobie Brothers as their touring bass player (after their regular bassist, Skylark, suffered
105-746: The Doobie Brothers —in a band originally called Four Wheel Drive, which was later changed to The Sky Kings . Several singles were released but failed to chart well. Two albums were recorded but not released by RCA until 1997 after the group's demise as the Sky Kings, "Out of the Blue". Partly thanks to his collaboration with Simmons in Four Wheel Drive, Cowan also found himself the bass player for The Doobie Brothers from 1993 to 1995. His song "Can't Stand To Lose", co-written with Rusty Young,
120-495: The country chart, and Fleck's showcase "Seven by Seven" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental. Hold to a Dream , released in 1987 contained hit singles including "Unconditional Love" and "Can't Stop Now." In 1989, New Grass Revival released their third major-label album, Friday Night in America , which was another commercial success. "Callin' Baton Rouge" became their first Top 40 single, followed by
135-472: The group as well as a distinctive guitar style. In 1984, the group moved to Sugar Hill Records, and released their first album featuring the new line-up, On the Boulevard . In 1986, the band signed with EMI Records and released an eponymous album , which proved to be their breakthrough into the mainstream. Two of the singles from the album, "What You Do to Me" and "Ain't That Peculiar", were minor hits on
150-634: The members brought elements of rock and roll , jazz , and blues to the group's sound. Consequently, certain portions of the bluegrass community scorned them, but they also gained a devoted following of listeners. In 1981, Johnson and Burch left the band being tired of touring. Bush and Cowan continued the group, replacing them with virtuoso banjoist Béla Fleck and guitarist Pat Flynn. Fleck's compositions such as "Metric Lips", "Seven by Seven" and "Big Foot" were well received as were Pat Flynn's "Do What You Gotta Do", "Lonely Rider" and "On The Boulevard". Pat Flynn also brought strong lead and harmony vocals to
165-558: The number 58 hit "You Plant Your Fields." Even though the band was more popular than ever, Bush decided to pull the plug on the group after the release of Friday Night in America . Bush formed The Sam Bush Band, and Fleck went on to a successful and respected solo career. In 1993, Bush, Cowan, Fleck, and Flynn returned to the studio, to back Garth Brooks , on his recording of "Callin' Baton Rouge". Banjoist Courtney Johnson died of lung cancer in 1996 at age 56. Bush, Fleck, Cowan, and Burch reunited for one concert (September 24, 1996) at
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#1732783739028180-470: The sound, using those same instruments." In 1979, they became the backup group and opening act for Leon Russell . After the release of their debut, Walker left and was replaced by Butch Robins, who was with the band from July 1973 to November 1974. He was replaced by John Cowan, an Evansville, Indiana, native. This line-up was stable throughout the 1970s, recording albums on Flying Fish Records. New Grass Revival never played traditional bluegrass — all of
195-584: The spotlight together during the Merlefest 20th Anniversary Jam and played the Townes Van Zandt song "White Freight Liner." The single-song reunion was the first time the four of them had played together in a decade. Sam Bush, John Cowan and Curtis Burch performed with their own groups on the world's first International Newgrass Festival 21–23 August 2009 at Ballance Motox, Kentucky. One Love Too Many Requests If you report this error to
210-622: The time, the Alliance also featured bassist Ebo Walker and fiddler Lonnie Peerce. Following this, Curtis Burch (dobro, guitar, vocals) joined the band, whilst in 1972, Peerce left the band, but the remaining members decided to continue under the new name New Grass Revival. The band released their debut album, The Arrival of the New Grass Revival , later in 1972 on Starday Records. The New Grass Revival bucked tradition, with long hair, informal clothing, and performances of songs from
225-626: Was featured on the Doobies' 2000 album Sibling Rivalry . In addition, throughout the 1990s, Cowan picked up session work singing harmony vocals and/or playing bass on recordings of Travis Tritt, Steve Earle, Garth Brooks and Wynonna. From 1996 to 1998, Cowan was the bassist and backing vocalist in Sam Bush 's touring band. The new century brought a blues record from Cowan. By 2002, his projects on Sugar Hill turned more to his "newgrass" stylings. Cowan performed on two bluegrass tribute albums for
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