NEW GRASS REVIVAL
- From Louisville, Kentucky.
- Formed in 1971 by 19-year-old Sam Bush.
- Original members: Sam Bush (mandolin), Courtney Johnson (banjo), Curtis Burch (guitar and Dobro™), Ebo Walker (bass). Bush, Johnson and Walker had previously worked together in the Bluegrass Alliance.
- First gig: Elizabethton, Tennessee. There were 12 people in the audience.
- First album: 1972 “Arrival of the New Grass Revival” (Starday).
- 1970’s, toured with John Hartford, Leon Russell, and Cheech and Chong.
- 1973, Butch Robins replaced Ebo Walker on bass.
- 1974, John Cowan (bass) replace Butch Robins.
- 1975, released Fly Through The Country
album (Flying Fish).
- 1977, released When The Storm Is Over album (Flying Fish).
- 1981, Burch and Johnson left the band for personal reasons. For a short time, Sam and John performed together as the “Two Grass Revival.”
- 1981, Pat Flynn (guitar) and Bela Fleck (banjo) joined the group.
- 1984, released On The Boulevard
album (Sugar Hill).
- 1986, released New Grass Revival
album (EMI).
- 1987, released Hold to a Dream
album (Capitol).
- 1989, released Friday Night in America
album (Capitol).
- 1989, released Live
album (Sugar Hill).
- 1990, the group broke up. Bush went to work with Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers. Fleck formed a band called the Flecktones. Cowan formed a group called the Sky Kings. Flynn worked as a solo artist, studio musician and record producer in Nashville.
- 1996, Courtney Johnson died. The band reunited for one show that year to benefit his widow.
- 1997, Bush and Cowan reunited to form The Sam Bush Band and a blues band called Duckbutter.
- 1997, Garth Brooks recorded two NGR songs: “Do What You Gotta Do” (written by Pat Flynn) and “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (with NGR providing instrumental backing).
- 2009, they reunited for a performance of one song “White Freightliner Blues” at Merlefest.