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JOHN MCCUTCHEON


BIO:
No one remembers when the neighbors started calling the McCutcheons to complain about the loud singing from young John’s bedroom. It didn’t seem to do much good, though. For, after a shaky, lopsided battle between piano lessons and baseball (he was a mediocre pianist and an all-star catcher), he had “found his voice” thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book of chords. From such inauspicious beginnings, John McCutcheon has emerged as one of our most respected and loved folksingers. As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the rare and beautiful hammer dulcimer. His songwriting has been hailed by critics and singers around the globe. His thirty-five recordings have garnered every imaginable honor, including six Grammy nominations. He has produced over twenty albums of other artists, from traditional fiddlers to contemporary singer-songwriters to educational and documentary works. His books and instructional materials have introduced budding players to the joys of their own musicality. And his commitment to grassroots political organizations has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communities and workers. Even before graduating summa cum laude from Minnesota’s St. John’s University, this Wisconsin native literally “headed for the hills,” forgoing a college lecture hall for the classroom of the eastern Kentucky coal camps, union halls, country churches, and square dance halls. His apprenticeship to many of the legendary figures of Appalachian music imbedded a love of not only home-made music, but a sense of community and rootedness. The result is music...whether traditional or from his huge catalog of original songs...with the profound mark of place, family, and strength. It also created a storytelling style that has been compared to Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor. The Washington Post described John as “Folk Music’s Rustic Renaissance Man,” a moniker flawed only by its understatement. “Calling John McCutcheon a ‘folksinger’ is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player...” (Dallas Morning News). Besides his usual circuit of major concert halls and theaters, John is equally at home in an elementary school auditorium, a festival stage or at a farm rally. He launched the first-ever joint tour of a Russian and an American folksinger with 1991’s US-USSR Friendship Tour, playing to packed houses in both countries. The past several years alone have seen him headline five different festivals in Australia, tour Nicaragua on behalf of a children’s literacy program, record four albums of songs and music, give a featured concert at the AFL/CIO Convention, author a second children’s book, score four videos, talk about songwriting with authors on XMRadio’s Bob Edwards Show, produce three recordings to benefit a community organizing group, tour Chile on behalf of a women’s health initiative, garner six Grammy nominations, debut his work with symphony orchestras and serve as the president of Local 1000, the fastest-growing Local in the American Federation of Musicians. But it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as “little feats of magic,” “breathtaking in their ease and grace...,” and “like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.” Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.

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mccutcheonfolk - TONIGHT! And, if you can't make it, your ticket is good for 48-hour on-demand watching. Come join me for my first… https://t.co/P5hZ8HbKcs
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mccutcheonfolk Twitter 3/5 @ 9:54 AM
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Latest Articles


Folk Music Legends John McCutcheon & Tom Paxton to Release Joint Album 'Together' Photo Folk Music Legends John McCutcheon & Tom Paxton to Release Joint Album 'Together'
by Michael Major - August 21, 2023

Songs about history, the news, baseball, cowboys, America, love, the remembered, the forgotten. Gathering John’s familiar crew of supporting musicians (fiddle wizard Stuart Duncan, keyboardist Jon Carroll, bass player JT Brown, as well as special guest, Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy), th...

Find Out Who Won at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards - All the Winners! Photo Find Out Who Won at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards - All the Winners!
by Michael Major - April 21, 2022

The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards featured a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, a win for Barlow and Bear's 'Unofficial Bridgerton Musical,' Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett for their 'Love For Sale' Cole Porter duets album, Olivia Rodrigo, and more. Check out the full list of winners now!...

Trent Wagler, Darrell Scott, and David Holt as Judges for 28th Annual Chris Austin So Photo Trent Wagler, Darrell Scott, and David Holt as Judges for 28th Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest
by Kaitlin Milligan - January 08, 2020

MerleFest, presented by Window World®, is pleased to announce Trent Wagler (of The Steel Wheels), Darrell Scott, and David Holt as judges for the 28th Annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest (CASC). ...

Ants On A Log Release CURIOUS: THINK OUTSIDE THE PIPELINE On 4/19 Photo Ants On A Log Release CURIOUS: THINK OUTSIDE THE PIPELINE On 4/19
by Tori Hartshorn - March 19, 2019

What can two kids do to help save the planet? Quite a lot, as it turns out;  young people around the globe are proving that they can be effective voices for climate action. A Philadelphia-based duo aims to inspire more families and young people to work for a cleaner world with their new musical and ...

Grammy Nominated Musician John McCutcheon New Track Premieres at The Bluegrass Situat Photo Grammy Nominated Musician John McCutcheon New Track Premieres at The Bluegrass Situation
by Caryn Robbins - January 11, 2018

Wisconsin-bred, Georgia-based musician John McCutcheon is folk music's Renaissance man master multi-instrumentalist, powerful singer-songwriter, storyteller, activist, and author....

John McCutcheon Teams with Kathy Mattea for Powerful New Track About Charlottesville
by Caryn Robbins - August 30, 2017

Wisconsin-bred, Georgia-based musician John McCutcheon is folk music's Renaissance man — master multi-instrumentalist, powerful singer-songwriter, storyteller, activist, and author....

Swearingen and Kelli's New Album 'The Marrying Kind' Is Out Tomorrow
by Stephi Wild - July 20, 2017

Americana husband-and-wife duo Swearingen and Kelli are set to release their sophomore album, The Marrying Kind, on July 21, 2017.  Unafraid of spilling their guts in their music, the Florida-based twosome of AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli presents 12 songs that challenge the listener to explore life...

Swearingen and Kelli to Release Sophomore Album 'The Marrying Kind' This July
by Caryn Robbins - May 24, 2017

Americana husband-and-wife duo Swearingen and Kelli are set to release their sophomore album, The Marrying Kind, on July 21, 2017....

Swearingen and Kelli to Release Sophomore Album This July
by Caryn Robbins - May 22, 2017

Americana husband-and-wife duo Swearingen and Kelli are set to release their sophomore album, The Marrying Kind, on July 21, 2017....












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