John McEuen Exits Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

John McEuen, one of the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, has announced his departure from the group. McEuen exited upon the conclusion of the NGDB 2017 tour marking the end of the band’s 50^th year anniversary.

McEuen was instrumental in the NGDB band’s formation in 1966 and has celebrated groundbreaking and historical success alongside his counterparts over the past 50 years. McEuen has recorded more than 30 NGDB albums and created a lasting legacy for his seminal work on the Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, which McEuen initiated in 1971. 

Over the course of his career, multi-instrumental “String Wizard” John McEuen has performed more than 9,500 concerts, covering more than three million miles globally with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and as a solo performer. McEuen has recorded over 40 albums (six solo), including four platinum and five gold, that include Grammys, CMA and ACM awards and IBMA Record of the Year honors. He is a member of the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame.

“It has been a great privilege to work alongside the others; together, we made history. After 50 years, the time has come for me to bid adieu to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band stage,” said John McEuen. “I will move forward with great pride in my personal and musical contributions to NGDB and now can fully concentrate on my independent endeavors. I have much to do and many more creative ideas to pursue. Because of this relationship, I have more stories than you can shake a pick at. (…That will come later!)”