John Cowan (born August 24, 1953) is an American

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

and

progressive bluegrass Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Like mainstream country music, it lar ...

vocalist and

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the

New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departure of original bassist Ebo Walker and was noted as being the only member of New Grass Revival not to come from a bluegrass background.

Biography

After the disbandment of the

, Cowan released a soul record of covers, called ''Soul'd Out'', for the

Sugar Hill Records Sugar Hill Records is an American bluegrass and Americana record label. It was founded in Durham, North Carolina in 1978 by Barry Poss and David Freeman, the owner of County Records and Rebel Records. Poss acquired full control of Sugar Hil ...

label in 1990. Cowan appeared as a duo with

Sam Bush Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival. ...

on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

series, Lonesome Pine Special in 1992, and also appeared with other artists on the program. From 1988 to 1996, Cowan teamed with Rusty Young of

Poco Poco was an American country rock band originally formed in 1968 after the demise of Buffalo Springfield. Guitarists Richie Furay and Jim Messina, former members of Buffalo Springfield, were joined by multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, bassi ...

, Bill Lloyd of

Foster & Lloyd Foster & Lloyd is an American country music duo consisting of singer-songwriters Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd. After pairing up in 1986, the duo recorded three albums for RCA Nashville, charting nine singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts. T ...

and Pat Simmons of

the Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

—in a band originally called Four Wheel Drive, which was later changed to

The Sky Kings The Sky Kings was an American country music supergroup formed in 1991 as Four Wheel Drive. Overview )))">allmusic ((( The Sky Kings > Overview )))/ref> "Picture Perfect" was the only single to chart, peaking at No. 52 on the '' Billboard'' ...

. Several singles were released but failed to chart well. Two albums were recorded but not released by RCA until 1997 after the group's demise as the Sky Kings, "Out of the Blue". Partly thanks to his collaboration with Simmons in Four Wheel Drive, Cowan also found himself the bass player for

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...

from 1993 to 1995. His song "Can't Stand To Lose", co-written with Rusty Young, was featured on the Doobies' 2000 album ''

Sibling Rivalry Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not. Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced ...

''. In addition, throughout the 1990s, Cowan picked up session work singing harmony vocals and/or playing bass on recordings of Travis Tritt, Steve Earle, Garth Brooks and Wynonna. From 1996 to1998, Cowan was the bassist and backing vocalist in

's touring band. The new century brought a blues record from Cowan. By 2002, his projects on Sugar Hill turned more to his "newgrass" stylings. Cowan performed on two bluegrass tribute albums for the British rock band

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...

: ''

Moody Bluegrass Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegra ...

: A Nashville Tribute to The Moody Blues'' (2004), and ''

TWO... Much Love'' (2011). In 2006, Cowan left Sugar Hill and went to the independent label

Pinecastle Records Pinecastle Records is a record label based in Piedmont, South Carolina specializing in supporting and developing bluegrass music artists. History Tom Riggs started the Pinecastle Records in 1989 as an outlet for bluegrass pioneer Bill Harrell who ...

. In 2008, Cowan was chosen to participate in a movie on the life of Billy Graham, entitled 'Billy: The Early Years.'Teen lands role as Billy Graham's sister in new film , www.tennessean.com , The Tennessean
/ref> In May 2010, Cowan rejoined The Doobie Brothers as their touring bass player (after their regular bassist, Skylark, suffered a stroke). In 2017, he released an album with fellow Doobie Brother

Ed Toth Edward Arthur Toth is an American musician and drummer for The Doobie Brothers, an American rock band. Toth joined the Doobie Brothers in 2005 following his departure from Vertical Horizon. Early life Toth says that he has been drumming most of ...

and Chicago guitarist

Keith Howland Keith Howland (born August 14, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer. He was the lead guitarist for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago from 1995-2021. Howland started playing the guitar at the age of seven, and he played in a number of band ...

titled Button.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1986: ''Soul'd Out!'' ( Sugar Hill) s Johnny "C * 2000: ''John Cowan'' (Sugar Hill) * 2002: ''Always Take Me Back'' (Sugar Hill) * 2006: ''New Tattoo'' (?) * 2009: ''Comfort and Joy'' (

eOne Entertainment One Ltd., trading as eOne, is an American-owned Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of films and television s ...

) * 2010: ''The Massenburg Sessions'' (eOne) * 2014: ''Sixty'' (

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

)

Live albums

* 2009: ''8,745 Feet: Live at Telluride'' (eOne)

As a member of
New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

* 1975: ''

Fly Through the Country ''Fly Through the Country'' is the second studio album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1975 on the Flying Fish label. It is also the title of the fifth song on the album. In 1992, ''When the Storm is Over'' and ' ...

'' (

Flying Fish The Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish or flying cod. About 64 species are grouped in seven to nine genera. While they cannot fly in the same way a bird do ...

) * 1977: ''

When the Storm Is Over ''When the Storm is Over'' is the third studio album recorded by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1977 on Flying Fish Records. The album includes a mix of covers, both traditional and contemporary, as well as band-pen ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1977: '' Too Late to Turn Back Now'' (Flying Fish) * 1979: ''

Barren County Barren County is a county located in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,485. Its county seat is Glasgow. The county was founded on December 20, 1798, from parts of Warren and G ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1981: ''

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1981: ''The Live Album'' (

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...

) [with

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

] * 1984: ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'' (Flying Fish) * 1984: '' On the Boulevard'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

) * 1984: '' Deviation'' (

Rounder Rounder(s) or The Rounder(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Rounders'' (1914 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounder'' (1930 film), a comedy short * ''The Rounders'' (1965 film), a western comedy * ''Rounders'' (film), a 1998 poker f ...

) with [

Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...

] * 1986: ''

'' (Capitol) * 1987: '' Hold to a Dream'' (Capitol) * 1989: ''

Friday Night in America ''Friday Night in America'' is a studio album by progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1989. The album includes the single "Callin' Baton Rouge", the band's only Top 40 hit on Hot Country Songs. Both it and " Do What You Gotta ...

'' (Capitol)

As a member of
The Sky Kings The Sky Kings was an American country music supergroup formed in 1991 as Four Wheel Drive. Overview )))">allmusic ((( The Sky Kings > Overview )))/ref> "Picture Perfect" was the only single to chart, peaking at No. 52 on the '' Billboard'' ...

* 2000: ''From Out of the Blue'' (Rhino Handmade) * 2014: ''1992'' (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

)

Also appears on

* 1978:

Bryn Haworth Bryn Haworth (born 29 July 1948) is a British Christian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pioneer of Jesus music in mainstream rock. Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, UK, he has released some twenty-two albums and several singles since the 1970s a ...

—'' Grand Arrival'' ( A&M) * 1978:

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

—''

Bruised Orange ''Bruised Orange'' is the fifth album by American Folk music, folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1978. Recording After the tepid reviews for his 1975 album ''Common Sense'', Prine was disillusioned with his label, Atlantic Records, ...

'' (

Asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

) ocals on track 10, "The Hobo Song * 1987: Foster and Lloyd—''

Foster & Lloyd (album) ''Foster & Lloyd'' is the debut studio album by American country music duo Foster & Lloyd. Commercially, It was their most successful album producing three top-ten singles, "Crazy Over You" (#4), "Sure Thing" (#8), and "What Do You Want from Me Th ...

'' (

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

) ocals* 1988:

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

—''

Copperhead Road ''Copperhead Road'' is the third studio album by Steve Earle, released in 1988. The album is often referred to as Earle's first "rock record"; Earle himself calls it the world's first blend of heavy metal and bluegrass, and the January 26, 19 ...

'' (

UNI Uni or UNI may refer to: Entertainment *Uni Records, a division of MCA, formally called Universal City Records *"U.N.I.", a song by Ed Sheeran from ''+'' (''Plus'') *Uni, a species in the Neopets Trading Card Game *Uni, a character in the anim ...

) ocals* 1989:

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

—'' Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two'' (

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

) ocals* 1992:

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

—''

Wynonna Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

'' (Curb / MCA) acking vocals* 1996: Kathy Chiavola—''The Harvest'' (

Demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

) ocals* 1996:

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...

—''

Live Art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

'' (

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

) ocals on track 14, "Oh, Darling!"* 1999:

Jesse Winchester James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester Jr. (May 17, 1944 – April 11, 2014) was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to Canada in 1967 to avoid b ...

—''Gentleman Of Leisure'' (Sugar Hill) ocals* 1999:

Leftover Salmon Leftover Salmon is an American jam band from Boulder, Colorado, formed in 1989. The band's music is a blend of bluegrass, rock, country, and Cajun/Zydeco. Over their thirty years as a band Salmon have released seven studio albums and three li ...

—''The Nashville Sessions'' (

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

) ocals* 2000:

—''

'' (Pyramid / Rhino) ass, vocals* 2001: Candlewyck—''Candlewyck'' (Votive Records) ocals* 2003:

Wayne Benson John Wayne Benson is an American mandolinist and songwriter in the bluegrass tradition. He is best known for his unique approach to the mandolin, and his long-term involvement with Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. History Early years Benson wa ...

—''An Instrumental Anthology'' ( Pinecastle) * 2014:

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

—''

Tarpaper Sky ''Tarpaper Sky'' is the fourteenth solo studio album by Rodney Crowell. Crowell co-produced the album with long-time collaborator Steuart Smith and Dan Knobler. ''Tarpaper Sky'' follows Crowell's Grammy-winning duet album with Emmylou Harris, '' ...

'' (

New West New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia. It had offices in Burbank, California, and Beverly Hills, California. The label was established in 1998 by Cameron Strang "for artists who perform real music ...

) ocals* 2014: Candlewyck—''Play'' (Votive Records) ocals* 2016:

Frank Solivan Frank Solivan is an American mandolinist, recording artist, composer, and leader of the progressive bluegrass band Dirty Kitchen. Biography Early life Solivan grew up near Modesto, California. His grandmother on his father’s side played mandoli ...

—''Family, Friends & Heroes'' (Compass) * 2017:

Button A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, ...

—''Button'' ass, vocals* 2018: Michael Kelsh—''Harmony Sovereign'' (Sonoita Records) dditional vocals

References

External links

*
John Cowan
on

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, John 1952 births Living people American male singers American bluegrass musicians New Grass Revival members Singers from Ohio The Doobie Brothers members Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Eastern High School (Louisville, Kentucky) alumni Guitarists from Kentucky Guitarists from Ohio American male bass guitarists 20th-century American bass guitarists Country musicians from Kentucky Country musicians from Ohio 20th-century American male musicians Sugar Hill Records artists RCA Records artists The Sky Kings members

Biography

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

As a member of New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

As a member of The Sky Kings The Sky Kings was an American country music supergroup formed in 1991 as Four Wheel Drive. Overview )))">allmusic ((( The Sky Kings > Overview )))/ref> "Picture Perfect" was the only single to chart, peaking at No. 52 on the '' Billboard'' ...

Also appears on

References

External links

As a member of
New Grass Revival New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, r ...

As a member of
The Sky Kings The Sky Kings was an American country music supergroup formed in 1991 as Four Wheel Drive. Overview )))">allmusic ((( The Sky Kings > Overview )))/ref> "Picture Perfect" was the only single to chart, peaking at No. 52 on the '' Billboard'' ...