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McCoury Music Newsletter
July 26, 2007
There's always room for a Little Mo' McCoury
 The latest offering from McCoury Music may be a brand new release, but Little Mo' McCoury (street date August 21, 2007), the engaging children's bluegrass album from Ronnie McCoury and the Del McCoury Band, has been a long time coming. "It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time," says Ronnie, "probably since my first child was born, and he's nine now!" Yet whether they're bluegrass fans or simply parents in search of a fresh, energetic collection of songs for their children, listeners—and, more importantly, their kids—are sure to agree that it was worth the wait. From timeless favorites like "This Old Man" and "I've Been Working On The Railroad" to bluegrass classics like "Jimmy Brown The Newsboy" and "Going Ape Over You" and contemporary songs like Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend In Me" (from Toy Story) and Bob Dylan's "Man Gave Names To All The Animals," Little Mo' McCoury is an introduction to bluegrass that reaches out to new generations of children without ever talking down to them.
Ronnie also plans for Little Mo’ McCoury to be a live music experience. Hearkening back to when he was a boy on the road with his father, he imagines kids’ matinees at bluegrass festivals, for example, where he will be accompanied on stage with members of the same family band that helped him make this groundbreaking recording, aside from one of the most successful touring bands in the country. Little Mo’ McCoury dates will be announced soon.
With a new generation of McCoury kids—Ron’s three and Rob’s two—providing the inspiration, Little Mo’ McCoury is an unmistakably heartfelt gift to young listeners that will give plenty of pleasure to the adults in their lives, too. And while the Del McCoury Band’s sure to keep on entertaining audiences of every age with new recordings and personal appearances, one McCoury just can’t resist pointing out another possibility that might arise from this effort. "You never know," Ronnie says with a twinkle in his eye—"I may be the next Barney."
All prerelease orders will be
signed by Little Mo' McCoury
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McCoury Music is Seeing RED
 McCoury Music is pleased to announce it has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with RED Distribution, the independent distribution arm of Sony/BMG. Under the terms of the deal, RED, the largest and most successful independent distribution, sales, and marketing company in the U.S. The first release through RED was Larry Sparks' "The Last Suit You Wear," and future releases include country music icon Merle Haggard's first-ever bluegrass album, which was recorded in Nashville with some of the genre's hottest pickers as well as the above mentioned Little Mo' McCoury. FOR THE FULL ARTICLE, CLICK HERE __ The distribution deal comes on the heels of McCoury's decision to convert his label into more than an outlet for his own albums. He formed McCoury Music in 2003 as a way to keep control over his songs and musical legacy. Del was clear from the beginning. "I wanted to make sure my family controls and continues to benefit from the music we have created. Having a powerful partner like RED guarantees that the significant investment we are making in this music for ourselves and others is secure. I believe we are dealing with good people who appreciate our music and will give it their best. You can't ask for anything more."
President of RED Distribution, Bob Morelli, offered his thoughts. "Del McCoury is a living legend and has put together a virtuoso label team around him. We could not be more thrilled to be part of it. We will bring the same pro active approach to McCoury Music as we have to everything we do and together give the entire bluegrass genre a real kick in the ass! In addition, Del's appeal across many styles and genres will result in numerous innovative and successful projects together."
 Larry Sparks
The newest release by Larry Sparks, The Last Suit You Wear has quickly proven to be a powerhouse follow-up to his last award-winning release, 40, receiving rave reviews, as well as his highest ever chart positions. The Last Suit You Wear has reached #4 on the Billboard bluegrass chart, #1 on Bluegrass Music Profile's album chart, and Larry's duet with Del, The Old Coal Mine has reached #3 on the BMP chart.
New York, NY
The Del McCoury Band had a wonderful time in the New York area recently. On June 30 they played Carnegie Hall with Bela Fleck (it was their second time at Carnegie, but first on the main stage). Emotions ran high as the band performed at the mecca for all musicians. The highlight of the evening was when the band stepped out in front of the mics and sang "Get Down on Your Knees and Pray" without amplification. The 2300 folks were dead silent and rewarded the band's performance with a standing ovation.
The next night they played the famed Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY and none other than John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful and writer of Nashville Cats performed with them. Not only did he oblige them by helping them out on Nashville Cats, he said their version on "The Family" was better than the original.
Del McCoury Band on tour with Vince Gill and Amy Grant
 Vince Gill, wife Amy Grant and the Del McCoury Band just completed the first leg of their 18 date summer tour. Gill launched his tour in February to support his four-CD set, These Days. The shows with Grant and McCoury began July 14 in Atlanta, and conclude Sept. 11 in Rio Rancho, NM "We're calling this 'Vince Gill: The Friends and Family Tour, Featuring Amy Grant and the Del McCoury Band,'" Gill says. "I know that's a real mouthful. But, believe me, it's going to be a real earful, too. We aim to dazzle."
Del and the boys were involved in the recording of four tracks on These Days, and will presumably join Vince for a portion of his show, in addition to performing their own show as a group.
You can catch the 'Vince Gill: The Friends and Family Tour, Featuring Amy Grant and the Del McCoury Band' in a town near you:
Aug 29, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand/ St. Paul, MN
Aug 31, Deer Valley Outdoor Theater/ Park City, UT
Sept 1, Casper Events Center/ Casper, WY
Sept 2, The Villages At Copper Mountain/ Copper Mountain, CO
Sept 5, Britt Pavillon/ Jacksonville, OR
Sept 6, The Concerts At Wente Vineyard/ Livermore, CA
Sept 7, Ironstone Amphitheatre/ Murphys, CA
Sept 8, The Greek Theatre/ Los Angeles, CA
Sept 9, Fantasy Springs Casino/ Indio, CA
Sept 10, Tims Toyota Center/ Prescott Valley, AZ
Sept 11, Santa Ana Star Center/ Rio Rancho, NM
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