Eddie Owen Presents Will the Circle Be Unbroken: A Tribute to the Carter Family feat. John McEuen (of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) & John Carter Cash

A unique incredible evening celebrates the music of the landmark ‘Circle’ album instigated by McEuen in 1971, and tells the story of how Carter Family music became a classic American Music form through Mother Maybelle Carter, and how they converged for the historic sessions with Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Bashful Brother Oswald, Merle Travis, and Jimmy Martin…and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

John McEuen starts the multi-media show with the story of how bunch of young 1960’s west-coast longhair hippies came to join the icons of Country Music in the studio for a magic week in August of 1971 to create the classic multi-platinum album – Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Songs live on stage from the band’s influential past accompany what is on screen as the show progresses to in-studio shots from early NGDB history to the ‘Circle’ album under way.

With bluegrass, country, gospel, and the roots of America’s music, songs from all the albums’ artists (Wildwood Flower, Keep on the Sunnyside, I Am a Pilgrim, Cannonball Rag, Wreck on the Highway, Earl’s Breakdown, etc.) are performed by the ensemble, ending, with all joining in for the classic Will the Circle Be Unbroken.

John McEuen is a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which formed in August, 1966. Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden and John are now in their 46th year playing together. The NGDB has continually played over 7,500 shows and traveled 3 million miles to do it. They have performed on over 200 television shows. Solo, John has done another 2,500+ shows.

One of his particular points of pride has been performing on the Grand Ole Opry - many times with NGDB, John has also featured numerous times solo, and as a guest with several other Opry member acts, and he brought Steve Martin there in 2010 for the Opry debut of The Crow. But his highest point on the Opry was playing it with sons Jonathan and Nathan, which they have done twice .

McEuen has recorded with the Nashville’s Country music iconic creators, and had records in the pop and country charts. In 1971 John instigated what Rolling Stone called ‘the’ most important record to come out of Nashville, and what the 2004 ZAGAT survey called the most important record in country music, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” By askin both Earl Scruggs and then (10 days later) Doc Watson if they would record with the band, followed by his brother Bill lining up Merle Travis would be perfect, as would Roy Acuff. It was Louise Scruggs who then helped line up, at their request, Jimmy Martin, Maybelle Carter, and Roy Acuff..Scruggs secured Vassar Clements and Junior Huskey, and the whole band went to Nashville in August of ‘71 to make that historic album, released on United Artists Records in 1972.

As a multi-instrumentalist (banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle) and solo entertainer, John McEuen plays to the boomer/’old hippie’ crowd and the traditional/bluegrass and folk audience, as well as the older country audience... and now the younger group is showing up to see ‘where it all came from’.

John has made over 40 albums (six solo) that have earned four platinum and four gold recognition awards, Grammy nominations and awards, CMA and ACM awards, Western Heritage Award, Emmy nomination, and IBMA record of the year award. In addition, John has performed on another 25 albums as guest artist. As ‘a presenter’, McEuen has produced over 250 concerts (his first one was Bob Dylan in 1965 at a long Beach high school).

John has known and worked with Steve Martin since high school years to the present. They both worked in Disneyland’s Magic Shop as teenagers. John scored Steve’s television specials, and arranged his music; The NGDB was the band on Steve’s hit song, “King Tut. Recently, John’s production of Steve’s album The Crow - New Songs for the five-string banjo won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass album.

John’s own XM Satellite radio show, Acoustic Traveller on The Bridge, runs twice a month and is in its 6th year.

McEuen created the music scores for 14 film/television projects, including the Emmy nominated 10-hour mini-series for Warner Bros. ‘The Wild West.’

John has also raised his six kids (five boys and a girl) ages between 32-42, and a 27-year-old stepson.

Some of the artists John McEuen has performed or recorded with include: Dolly Parton, Steve Martin, Willie Nelson, Bill Wyman, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Jerry Garcia, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Phish, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kevin Nealon, Alison Krauss, Bill Cosby, Stephen Wright, Mark OConnor, Tommy Lee Jones, Sissy Spacek, Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, Maybelle Carter, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Steve Vai, Doc Watson, Jimmy Buffett, The Smothers Brothers, Rowan & Martin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bobby Sherman, Jose Feliciano, Allman Brothers, John Denver, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Jack Benny, Glen Campbell, Steve Goodman, Waylon Jennings, Robin Williams, Little River Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Doobie Brothers, Andy Williams, Merle Travis, Vassar Clements, Dizzy Gillespie, The Osmond Brothers, Everly Brothers, Crystal Gayle, Gary Morris, Doug Kershaw, Michael Martin Murphey, The Doors, Donovan, Lee Marvin, Ramblin Jack Elliot, David Amram, Arlo Guthrie, America, Bill Monroe, and Asleep at the Wheel.

John Carter Cash, having been involved in music all his life, is an accomplished and award winning record producer. However, his activities in the creative world reach far beyond just music production. He is also a singer-songwriter, and author. The grandson of Maybelle Carter and the only son to John R Cash and June Carter Cash, he preserves the family legacy and is a caretaker to the heritage of his musical ancestors.

He began his walk as a music producer with his mother June Carter Cash on her CD, Press On, which won a Grammy in 1999, then went on to work under Rick Rubin as Associate Producer on his father Johnny Cash’s Grammy winning records “American III: Solitary Man” and “American IV: The Man Comes Around”, the latter receiving three CMA awards.

He also produced his mother’s record “Wildwood Flower”, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk album in 2003. His 2004 production “Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family” received three Grammy nominations. John Carter is co-Producer on Marty Stuart’s CD, Badlands. The CD “The Voice of the Spirit, the Gospel of the South” released in April of 2006, received critical regard and acclaim. His production on Billy Joe Shaver’s “Everybody’s Brother”, helped earn a Grammy nomination in 2007.

John Carter has produced material for Loretta Lynn, Josh Turner, Brooks & Dunn, Elvis Costello, Wylie and the Wild West, Dr. Ralph Stanley, George Jones, Mavis Staples, Lynda Carter, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Sheryl Crow, John Randal and Jessi Alexander, Norman and Nancy Blake, Tim O’ Brien, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Earl and Randy Scruggs, Rosanne Cash, John Cowan, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Rice, and John Prine. In total, he has been a producer on five Grammy Award winning records.

John Carter’s first CD of his own music titled “Bitter Harvest” was released only to the international market in 2003. His latest CD, entitled “The Family Secret”, is available everywhere and received a three starred review in Rolling Stone.

He is the author of three children’s books, “Momma Loves Her Little Son”, “Daddy Loves His Little Girl”, and his latest release, “The Cat in the Rhinestone Suit.” He authored a biography on his mother, “Anchored in Love” (on which a film is currently in production) and one on his personal relationship with his father, “House of Cash: The Legacies of My Father Johnny Cash”. His first novel, a fantasy titled “Lupus Rex”, is released June of 2013.

John Carter Cash owns and operates Cash Productions, LLC and the Cash Cabin Studio near Nashville, in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He is the father to three children, Anna Maybelle Cash, Joseph John Cash, and youngest, Jack Ezra Cash.