Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Joins Webster Public Relations Roster
2016 Marks 50 Years for Grammy, CMA Award-Winning Group
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The iconic and profoundly influential Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in country, rock and American roots music, joins Webster Public Relations for publicity representation as the band marks its 50th birthday of nonstop touring and recording vital music. “It’s an honor to work with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and celebrate their milestone anniversary of five spectacular decades,” said Kirt Webster, President/CEO. “They’re one of very few musical acts to achieve such longevity and this level of success – a testament to their talent and authenticity.” Formed in California in 1966, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band consists of founding members Jeff Hanna (guitars/vocals), Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica/vocals), John McEuen (banjo/fiddle/guitar/mandolin), and Bob Carpenter (keyboards/accordion/vocals), “The New Guy” since 1977. The group has lasted longer than virtually any other country-based group of their era with multi-platinum and gold records, including legendary hits “Mr. Bojangles” and "Fishin’ in the Dark” (certified platinum for digital downloads in 2014 and the longest recurrent country radio song of all time). Their groundbreaking 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, which assembled the living legends of country, bluegrass and mountain music to record what many critics have hailed as "an American treasure,” has been inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress and the Grammy Hall of Fame, paving the way for generations of what’s now known as today’s “cross genre movement." "Mr. Bojangles" was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. Most recently the Nitty Gritty Dirty Band was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, class of 2015. As part of their 50th anniversary, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hosted a star-studded PBS televised special to air in March that was filmed at the historic Ryman Auditorium during a sold-out performance, which was also the unofficial kick off to the 2015 Americana Awards and Music Festival. The special also stars fellow guest artists, including John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell and Jerry Douglas as well as former members, Jimmy Ibbotson (a founder and member for decades) and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and original member Jackson Browne. The special is made possible with support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism. There will be an accompanying CD and DVD as PBS premiums with extra songs and performances available exclusively through PBS Pledge, Check your local listings. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band continue non-stop touring in celebration of their Golden 50th anniversary planned to run through the end of 2017, with many additional dates to be announced. Plans are to be extensive with select shows featuring special guests in select markets as well as many new exciting show elements. This will be a tour not to be missed. NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND ON TOUR: Feb 12 Shooting Star Casino - Mahnomen, MN March 11 The Palladium at Center for the Performing Arts - Carmel, Ind. March 18 French Lick Resort - French Lick, Ind. April 08 Riverside Casino - Riverside, Iowa April 29 Las Cruces Downtown - Las Cruces, N.M. July 07 Country Concert at Hickory Hill - Fort Loramie, Ohio July 08 Country Concert at Hickory Hill - Rhinelander, Wis. Aug 05 Manitoulin Country Fest - Little Current, ON, Canada For more information, visit nittygritty.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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