Bluegrass king Del McCoury celebrates 50 years

Don’t look for tabloid stories or tales of excess about music great Del McCoury, revered as the “Father of Bluegrass” music.

The Grammy Award-winning Grand Ole Opry member, whose accolades include nine nods as the International Bluegrass Music Awards Entertainer of the Year, has never been known for the outrageous behavior and arrogant attitudes of many other celebrated musicians. While his contemporaries, including Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, took musical hiatuses to address well-documented substance abuse issues, McCoury’s hiatus was to help raise his sons.

“A lot of people did get sidetracked, and I don’t know why. There are a lot of temptations but as far back as I can remember my biggest temptation was music,” McCoury said. “I always thought, ‘I can’t do anything to jeopardize my singing and my playing.’ Music has always been so important to me.”

There certainly are many artists that have taken breaks from music and come back to restart careers, but few have continued to grow their musical styles and legends as steadily as McCoury whose fans include everyone from members of Phish to Dierks Bentley and Haggard.

Now celebrating his 50th year in the business with a new CD “Family Circle,” McCoury is touring with his band that includes sons Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Robbie McCoury on banjo.

“It sure doesn’t feel that long,” McCoury said of his years in the business. “I can’t tell a whole lot of difference from back when I was working with Bill Monroe [widely revered as a key founder of bluegrass] and now.”

That statement may seem mundane to many, but it strongly affects bluegrass artists who look to McCoury for guidance on the genre especially when some criticize anything labeled bluegrass that includes elements of pop or folk, thus swaying from the “pure” sound.

“I like diversity; I think it’s a good thing,” said McCoury. “Even back in the 1960s when I was listening to Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs play — they were what you would call traditional — I liked to hear the younger guys [play].”

Even then, McCoury said, there was some unrest when musicians would veer from the pure bluegrass sound.

“Sam Bush [innovator of the “newgrass” style] told me that years ago Bill said to him ‘Is that music you play progressive bluegrass?'” recalled McCoury with amusement in his voice. “When Sam said it was, Bill said ‘I don’t like it.'”

But even such stalwarts as Monroe could be swayed, McCoury said, noting Monroe’s criticism of Elvis Presley’s music before the King recorded Monroe’s song “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”

“He praised him for that and of course that made [Bill] a lot of money,” McCoury said, laughing. “But I really enjoy listening to the different players. Even if I can’t see myself playing some of it, I think [the diversity] helps bluegrass [remain relevant].”