Questions
When and where did the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band form?
They formed in Long Beach, California in 1966, when guitarist Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden started jamming around the Southern California folk scene.
Is it true Jackson Browne was in the band?
Yes. Jackson Browne was a founding member, but he reportedly quit after just a few months. John McEuen replaced him and became the group’s most enduring member.
Where did the band’s unusual name come from?
They reportedly settled on Nitty Gritty Dirt Band after noticing that many 1960s bands had unusually long names. Before that they had called themselves the Illegitimate Jug Band.
What is their biggest pop hit?
Mr. Bojangles, released in 1970, was their biggest pop hit, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
What is their signature country song?
Fishin’ in the Dark, released in 1987, is their signature song and became one of their number one country hits.
What is the Will the Circle Be Unbroken album all about?
It is a landmark collaborative album from 1972 on which the band recorded with country and bluegrass legends including Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, and Maybelle Carter. It is credited with helping bridge rock and country audiences.
Were there more Circle albums?
Yes. Volume Two arrived in 1989 with guests like Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Bruce Hornsby, and Levon Helm, and Volume III followed in 2002 featuring Dwight Yoakam and Tom Petty.
Have they won any Grammy Awards?
Yes, they won three Grammys, including Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two, Best Bluegrass Recording for The Valley Road, and Best Country Instrumental Performance for a live version of Earl’s Breakdown.
Did they ever change their name?
Yes. From 1978 to 1983 they shortened it to the Dirt Band, reportedly because radio DJs were not comfortable with the longer name, before reverting to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the early 1980s.
Did they really play on Steve Martin’s King Tut?
Yes. They backed Steve Martin on his 1978 novelty hit King Tut under the alias the Toot Uncommons.
Did they tour the Soviet Union?
Yes. In 1976 they toured the Soviet Union for 28 days, in a trip overseen by the U.S. State Department.
Did a band member write a Rascal Flatts hit?
Co-founder Jeff Hanna is a co-writer of Bless the Broken Road, which became a number one country hit when Rascal Flatts covered it in 2005.
Was a former Eagle ever in the band?
Yes. Bernie Leadon, who had been in the Eagles, briefly joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band around 1988 to 1989.
Does the current lineup have any family connections?
Yes. Since 2018 the lineup has included Jeff Hanna’s son Jaime Hanna, along with Jim Photoglo, who co-wrote Fishin’ in the Dark years before he joined the band.
Are they still touring?
The band launched their For the Good Times farewell tour in January 2024, beginning in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
