Is there really a Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band? Americans love country and folk music. They go way back. Many famous country and folk bands made records, and toured the country. Many lesser known groups still do quite well. This article focuses on one of the best.
The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band had its start in California in 1966. Since that time there’s been some turnover in the band members. Two have always remained. It’s the guitarist Jeff Hanna and the drummer Jimmy Fadden. They wanted to make a band so they wouldn’t have to work.
At the start the Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band was a jug group. Early jug bands were jazz bands who added the jug into which someone would blow as a novelty. Memphis jug bands were blues bands. Many jug bands also added a washboard as a type of percussion instrument. A jug band made some appearances on the Andy Griffith Show. Sheriff Taylor had a few run ins with this family. Andy would generally perform with them playing his guitar.
In 1967 The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band released their first single Buy for Me the Rain. It became a top 40 hit and was even exposed on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It was even performed at concerts with people such as Jack Benny and the Doors. There couldn’t be any more different performers.
By 1968 the Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band was appearing in movies and on stage with performers as a novelty act. They appeared in one of the worst musicals ever made – Paint Your Wagon. They even opened for Bill Cosby at Carnegie Hall. They even performed with the immortal Dizzy Gillespie.
Throughout the early to mid-1970s The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band became more of a country and bluegrass band. They earned two Grammy nominations. They performed in Japan. At the Ozark Music Festival they performed in front of 350,000 people.
The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band kind of disappeared, but popped up now and then. They appeared on SNL and recorded some albums in Nashville. At this time they won two Grammy awards.
The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band has been heard all over the world.
http://dirtcrazy.com/
