Banjo / guitar / vocalist originally from Bakersville, NC, then family moved to York, PA. Del played banjo in Balt./ D.C. area clubs in the late ‘50s with Keith Daniels & the Blue Ridge Partners. Del and his brother Jerry McCoury (bass guitar) played locally as members of the Franklin County Boys, and Jack Cooke’s Virginia Playboys (Cooke was a member of Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys circa 1970-2009).
Jack Cooke’s band circa 1962 featured himself multi-instruments, with the McCoury brothers, and Kimball Blair (fiddle). They performed locally at the Chapel Café… (Kimball’s son, Warren Blair – see bio).
Del joined Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys 1963-64 as a guitarist and vocalist. In 1967 he formed the Dixie Pals who were favorites throughout the northeast bluegrass scene.
Del’s first album was released in 1968 “Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass.” Over the years McCoury has released a number of great bluegrass albums.
Del’s son Ronnie McCoury (mandolin, vocals) joined the group in 1981, and another son Robbie McCoury (banjo) joined in 1987. Their 1999 CD “Steve Earle & the Del McCoury Band” was nominated for the grammy award in 2000 for Best Bluegrass Album. In the ‘00s the Del McCoury Band continued to perform nationally including appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.
Jerry McCoury can also be heard on the 1971 album “Letter Edged in Black” (Wango 111) with Don Reno, Red Smiley, Bill Harrell & the Tennessee Cut-ups…
Album releases include:
1968(LP) Arhoolie 5006 Del McCoury Sings Bluegrass
1973(LP) Rounder 0019 High on a Mountain (with the Dixie Pals)
1975(LP Revonah 916 Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals
1976(LP) Grassound 102 Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals Collector’s Special
1978(LP) Rebel 1569 Our Kind of Grass
1983(LP) Rebel 1610 The Best of Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals
1990(CD) Rounder 0245 Don’t Stop the Music
1992(CD) Rebel 1709 Livin’ on a Mountain
1993(CD) Rounder 0303 A Deeper Shade of Blue
1996(CD) Rounder The Cold Hard Facts
1998(CD) Sugar Hill 3888 Mac, Doc & Del (with Mac Wiseman & Doc Watson)
1999(CD) Steve Earle & the Del McCoury Band
2001(CD) Ceili The Family
2003(CD) McCoury It’s Just the Night
2003 (CD) ACD 25001 July 1963 – Two Days at Newport (Del with Bill Monroe and Bill Keith)
