‘A grand gentleman.’ Legendary Bluegrass musician J.D. Crowe has died, reports say
Bluegrass music legend and Lexington native J.D. Crowe has died.
Crowe died early on Dec. 24 at the age of 84, according to Kentucky Country Music Facebook page. His son confirmed Crowe’s death, according to the post. He was revered for his skilled banjo playing and his innovation in Bluegrass music, with a career that spanned more than 50 years.
According to a report from Bluegrass Today, Crowe was hospitalized in November and had been recovering in a rehab center.
Born James Dee Crowe in 1937, he began his Bluegrass career in the 1950s, playing with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys. Later, he formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, which became The New South in 1971.
Throughout his career, he played with Bluegrass musicians like Jimmy Martin, Doyle Lawson and Keith Whitley. The New South included members Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs.
Crowe won a Grammy in 1983 for his song “Fireball” in the Country Instrumental of the Year category. He also received the Bluegrass Star Award in 2011. He officially retired from touring in 2012, but continued to attend and play at concerts and festivals, according to Herald-Leader archives.
He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Kentucky in 2012, and a lifetime achievement award from the Lexington Music Awards in 2016. In Kentucky, the annual J.D. Crowe Bluegrass Festival is held in Wilmore.
In 2009, Crowe told the Herald-Leader the festival was about celebrating Jessamine County as much as it was about his own music.
“That’s always what we have tried to capture,” Crowe said. “A lot of festivals, as you know, strictly go with the music. And that’s fine. We work a lot of events like that, and people always have a good time. But this one is more community- and family-oriented than some of the other festivals.”
Social media had an outpouring of love and tributes for Crowe on Friday morning.
The Facebook page for the band Blue Highway posted a tribute to Crowe, calling him “one of our heroes and biggest influences.”
“Nobody ever had the groove, the touch, tone and timing of this man. Prayers for his family and for the whole Bluegrass community. This one really hurts,” the post said.
“A finer banjo player will be hard to find here but I know Heaven is welcoming this good and faithful servant in with open arms today,” Bluegrass singer songwriter Donna Ulisse posted. “I was blessed to get to know him a little and what a grand gentleman he was.”
Musician Billy Strings called Crowe “just the best bluegrass banjo player out there.”
“He was an absolute legend. He will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play bluegrass music. He had tone, taste and TIMING like no other,” he posted.
This story was originally published December 24, 2021 at 11:33 AM.