John McEuen goes where the wind blows
By Carma Wadley Deseretnews.com June 02, 2006
In 40 years on the road, both with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which he co-founded, and with his own L.A. String Wizards, John McEuen has learned a few things. For example, "Wyoming invented wind, and Kansas shows us how to use it." He says driving across Wyoming, all you get is wind. "But the Kansas wind does all kinds of things. I've seen it move thunderstorms around like chess pieces. There were times when Dorothy was practically visible."
Not that he is complaining about a career that has taken him wherever the wind blows. He's one of the lucky ones, he said in a recent telephone interview from Toronto, where he was on the road yet again. "I'm playing the very music I hoped to back in those early years." After all, he could have been a mathematician. "I was just learning how to play the mandolin when I got my first D in calculus. I decided to study that less and to play more," he said with a laugh.
It may not be calculus, but over the years he's put together some pretty impressive numbers: recorded more than 40 albums (six of them solo), performed more than 6,000 shows, appeared on more than 200 television shows, raised six kids and one stepson, collected dozens of Grammy, ACM, CMA and Western Heritage nominations and awards.
Doing all that, he figures he's traveled 3 million miles or so — or at least what feels like it.
McEuen will be making another round trip of sorts when he appears as the headliner at the Brigham City Heritage Arts Festival. Not only did he live in Murray, Utah for 10 years, his mother, four of his kids and seven of his grandchildren still live in Utah. It's always good to come back, he said.
McEuen has played everything from folk to rock to bluegrass and country music. "Bluegrass affected me first — Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Dillards." He's made music with a ton of folk ranging from Johnny Cash to Phish, from Linda Ronstadt to Leon Russell and Jimmy Buffet to Bob Dylan.
He plays guitar, mandolin and five-string banjo. The banjo is probably his favorite, "but I like to keep the guitar around. It keeps my hands in shape."
"It's been a great ride," he said. "It's good to get out and see the world." He's not done, yet. "I'd like to get back to see the tides change at the Bay of Fundy, for one. There are so many places to go."
The best part has been sharing both music and stories. "I like to make people have a good time." He loves it when they hear those fast notes and laugh with the joy of it all. He loves to spin a good yarn or two (for more of those, go to www.johnmceuen.com). He enjoys meeting people from all walks of life.
And that's another thing he's learned. "Be nice. Try to solve problems instead of creating them. Do that — and it doesn't really matter which way the wind blows."
