John McEuen Leaves Nitty Gritty Dirt Band After 51 Years - Noise11.com
John McEuen

John McEuen

John McEuen Leaves Nitty Gritty Dirt Band After 51 Years

by Roger Wink, VVN Music on October 30, 2017

in News

John McEuen has announced that he has left the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band after 51 years and will embark on the road with a new band.

McEuen joined the NGDB in 1966 as the replacement for Jackson Browne and has been a member for 37 of the last 51 years, taking off from 1987 to 2001 when he pursued a solo career.

McEuen said in a statement:

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. 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!)

John later laid out his plans with a new band:

Hey everybody!! A little heads up on my coming year. For All my Nitty Gritty Dirt Band fans, I will be taking Les Thompson out (an original NGDB founding member), John Cable (an alumni from the mid-’70’s), and “the always knocks them out” man with the great voice – Matt Cartsonis on the road.

Our multi-media show includes music and stories behind the songs from NGDB & Will the Circle Be Unbroken and my recent highly acclaimed “Made in Brooklyn” album. And be sure to share this post. You can check it out at www.johnmceuen.com

Check out a town near your home. The East Coast, midwest, west coast tour will include:

The Plymouth NH show is my FIRST time there!

Every show is different and some will have special guests. Save the date!

Plymoth, NH- Silver Center For the Arts-11.3.17
Old Saybrook, CT- The Kate/The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center- 11.4.17
Bristol, VA- The Birthplace of Country Music Museum- Paramount Center- 11.9.17
Carrboro, NC- The Artscenter- 11.10.17
Clifton Forge, VA- Historic Masonic Theatre- 11.12.17
Beacon, NY- Towne Crier Café- 11.16.17
Jim Thorpe, PA- Mauch Chunk Opera House- 11.17.17
Stowe, VT- Spruce Peak PAC-11.18.17
Albany, NY- The Egg Performing Arts Center- 11.19.17
Telluride, CO- Sheridan Opera House- 12.27.17
Beaver Creek, CO- Vilar Performing Arts Center- 12.28.17
Rifle, CO- Ute Events Center- 12.30.17
Graham, TX- Graham Memorial Auditorium- 1.16.18
Dallas, TX- Poor David’s Pub- 1.18.18
The Woodlands, TX- Dosey Doe Barn- 1.19.18
New Braunfels, TX- Brauntex Theatre- 1.20.18
Riverforest, IL- Dominican University Performing Arts Center- 1.26.18
Cape Girardeau, MO- Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall, Southeast Missouri State University- 1.27.18
Fayetteville, AR- Walton Arts Center-Star Theater 2.3.18
Hot Springs Village, AR- Woodlands Auditorium- 2.4.18
Monroe, MI- River Raisin Centre For The Arts- 2.10.18
Mesa, AZ- Mesa Arts Center/Piper Theater- 2.23.18
Durango, CO- Community Concert Hall At Fort Lewis College- 3.7.18
Kent, WA- Kent-meridian High School Performing Arts- 3.9.18
Bremerton, WA- Admiral Theatre- 3.10.18
Bend, OR- Tower Theatre-3.11.18
Salem, OR- Historic Elsinore Theatre- 3.15.18
Medford, OR- Craterian Theater- 3.16.18
Thousand Oaks- CA- Scherr Forum Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza- 3.17.18
Berkeley, CA- Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse- 3.22.18
Lancaster, CA- Lancaster Performing Arts Center- 3.23.18
Warren, PA- Struthers Library Theatre- 4.7.18
Loveland, CO- Rialto Theater- 4.12.18
Ft. Pierce, FL- Summer Crush Winery- 4.14.18
Madison, FL- North Florida Community College- Van H. Priest Auditorium- 4.20.18
Largo, FL- Central Park PAC- 4.21.18
Franklin, TN- Franklin Theatre- 5.19.18

See you there!

McEuen has appeared on such Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hits “Buy For Me the Rain”, “Mr. Bojangles”, “An American Dream” and “Make a Little Magic”. He also has eleven solo albums to his name including 2016’s Made in Brooklyn.

vvnmusic.com

Related Posts

Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited: 60 Years of a Rock & Roll Revolution

Released on August 30, 1965, Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited marked a seismic shift in both his career and the landscape of popular music. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the album stands as a bold declaration of artistic freedom, blending folk, blues, and rock into a sound that was as electrifying as it was poetic.

August 30, 2025
The Beatles Anthology box 2025 vinyl edition
The Beatles’ Lost Epic The Unreleased Story of Carnival of Light Once Again Fails To Surface on Anthology

There is one Beatles song that has taken on mythical status among fans, collectors and music historians. It has never been released, never leaked, and exists only in the archives of Abbey Road Studios. It is called Carnival of Light.

August 28, 2025
Mavis Staples to Release New Album ‘Sad And Beautiful World’ November 7

There are few voices in American music that carry the weight of history, faith, and resilience quite like Mavis Staples. Now 86, Staples is still moving forward with the same passion that has defined her life in music, announcing the release of her new album Sad And Beautiful World for November 7. Produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff), the record is a sweeping celebration of survival and connection, featuring appearances from some of music’s greatest names.

August 27, 2025
Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys
Jimi Hendrix’s New York: A Gritty, Intimate Portrait of the Guitar God’s East Coast Awakening

A fresh and intimate window into Jimi Hendrix’s New York chapter has arrived with the nine-minute short film Jimi Hendrix’s New York, a companion piece to the expansive Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision deluxe box set.

August 27, 2025
The Doors Live At Bakersfield
The Doors: Live in Bakersfield, August 21, 1970 — A Wild, Rare Live Release

The Doors’ newly issued Live in Bakersfield, August 21, 1970 is one of the most compelling live documents to surface from the band’s archives in years. Released on both CD and limited edition vinyl, the concert captures Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore in a unique and unpredictable setting.

August 26, 2025
The Who, Pete Townshend. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Pete Townshend: Reveling at 80 on Final Who Tour and Bold New Beginnings

London’s indefatigable rock sage Pete Townshend recently granted AARP The Magazine a deeply revealing interview, with the questioning prowess of Jim Sullivan guiding him through reflections on The Who’s swan song and his exhilarating future ahead.

August 25, 2025
The Beatles Anthology box 2025 vinyl edition
The Beatles’ Anthology 4 Announcement Splits Fans Between Celebration and Criticism

The Beatles’ world lit up on 21 August 2025 when Apple Corps confirmed what had long been whispered: Anthology 4will arrive this November as part of a deluxe 8-CD / 12-LP box set. For many, the announcement was nothing short of historic—a long-awaited continuation of the celebrated mid-’90s Anthology trilogy. But while excitement has been intense, the news has also stirred division among fans. Some see Anthology 4 as a fitting final chapter, while others accuse it of being an unnecessary cash-grab.

August 25, 2025