Del McCoury has become a bluegrass inspiration

Del McCoury has been playing bluegrass music since the 1960s, citing Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe as his main influences. But it makes him laugh when some of today's bluegrass kings — such as Sam Bush and Gerry Douglas — tell people that Del McCoury is among their inspirations.

"I guess when you stick around long enough, you'll influence someone," McCoury said with a laugh during a telephone interview from his home in Nashville, Tenn. "Back when I started playing music, there were only a handful of bluegrass bands."

Back then a new kind of music had taken over — rock 'n' roll. "When I was in high school, all the kids started getting into rock 'n' roll, because it was just coming out at that time. They'd listen to Elvis and all those guys. I didn't. I felt alone because I was listening to Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe."

When the bluegrass festivals began popping up in the '60s, McCoury was able to be a part of that scene. "I was the young one then," he said with another laugh. "I was one of the first new musicians to take a festival stage. Everyone knew who Bill Monroe and Don Reno & Red Smiley were, but they didn't know who I was."

As fate or coincidence would have it, around this time Monroe heard McCoury and asked him to join the Blue Grass Boys. Although trained on banjo, he was moved to guitar and lead vocals, because Monroe had hired banjo virtuoso Bill Keith at the same time. "It's funny," McCoury said. "People saw me 20 years ago with Bill and didn't think too much about it."

These days, with bluegrass in the spotlight — thanks to the "O Brother Where Art Thou?" movie and soundtrack, and such bands as Phish, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Sam Bush and Gerry Douglas — the sound has found popularity with a college-age crowd.

"I remember when Phish recorded one of my songs," McCoury said. "I didn't know who that band was. But my sons did. Phish sent me a CD of the song, and I thought it was pretty good. Then my sons said, 'Dad, Phish is a very famous band.'"

His sons Ronnie and Rob are in McCoury's band — Ronnie on mandolin, Rob on banjo — along with Rike Bub on bass and Jason Carter on fiddle. "The newest member of this band — Jason — joined 11 years ago, so I know this band and they know me," McCoury said. "They know what to expect from me and I know what to expect from them. They give me ideas of what to record, and they know that I'll do what is best for the group."