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Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Richard Lee Skaggs
Born	(1954-07-18) July 18, 1954 (age 57) Cordell, Kentucky
Genres	Country, bluegrass Gospel Music, Gospel
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, session musician, bandleader, producer, arranger
Instruments	singer, mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle
Years active	1960s-present
Labels	Sugar Hill, Epic, Rounder, DCC, Atlantic, Camden, Rebel, Hollywood, Legacy, Skaggs Family
Associated acts	Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, J. D. Crowe and New South, Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band, The Whites, Kentucky Thunder, Bruce Hornsby
Website	http://www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com/

Richard Lee "Ricky" Skaggs (born July 18, 1954) is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster and banjo.

Biography[link]

Early career[link]

Ricky Skaggs was born in Cordell, Kentucky. He started playing music at age 5 after he was given a mandolin by his father, Hobert. At age 6, he played mandolin and sang on stage with Bill Monroe. At age 7, he appeared on television's Martha White country music variety show, playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. He also wanted to audition for the Grand Ole Opry at that time, but was told he was too young.

In his mid-teens, Skaggs met a fellow teen prodigy, guitarist Keith Whitley, and the two started playing together with Whitley's banjoist brother Dwight on radio shows. By 1970, they had earned a spot opening for Ralph Stanley and Skaggs and Keith Whitley were thereafter invited to join Stanley's band, the Clinch Mountain Boys

Skaggs later joined The Country Gentlemen in Washington, DC, J. D. Crowe's New South. For a few years, Skaggs was a member of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band. He wrote the arrangements for Harris's 1980 bluegrass-roots album, Roses in the Snow. In addition to arranging for Harris, Skaggs sang harmony and played mandolin and fiddle in the Hot Band.

Neotraditionalism and experimentation[link]

Into the 1990s and 2000s, Skaggs has embraced his bluegrass roots, as well as experimenting with new sounds. With his band, Kentucky Thunder, he is a perennial winner of Grammy Awards and International Bluegrass Music Association for best bluegrass album.

"I always want to try to promote the old music, as well as trying to grow, and be a pioneer too," Skaggs once said.^{[citation needed]}

In 2000, he shared the stage with Vermont-based jam band, Phish.^{[citation needed]} On March 20, 2007, Skaggs released an album with rock musician Bruce Hornsby.

In 2008, Skaggs released an album he recorded with The Whites on his Skaggs Family Records label.

In 2008, Skaggs recorded a bluegrass version of "Old Enough" by the Raconteurs with Ashley Monroe and the Raconteurs. He played mandolin on the track as well as sharing vocals with Jack White, Brendan Benson, and Ashley Monroe.

Discography[link]

Awards[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

• 1983 Best Country Instrumental Performance: New South (J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Todd Phillips, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs) for Fireball
• 1984 Best Country Instrumental Performance: Ricky Skaggs for Wheel Hoss
• 1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist): Ricky Skaggs for Raisin' The Dickins
• 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration: Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner & Vince Gill for Restless
• 1999 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
• 1998 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals: Clint Black, Joe Diffie, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt & Dwight Yoakam for Same Old Train
• 2000 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Ancient Tones
• 2000 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Soldier Of The Cross
• 2003 Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for A Simple Life
• 2004 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Brand New Strings
• 2006 Best Bluegrass Album: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for Instrumentals
• 2006 Best Musical Album For Children, "Songs From The Neighborhood, The Music Of Mr. Rogers"
• 2008 Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: Ricky Skaggs and The Whites for Salt Of The Earth
• 2009 Best Bluegrass Album Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass 1946 & 47

CMA (Country Music Association) Awards[link]

• 1982 Male Vocalist of the Year: Ricky Skaggs
• 1982 Horizon Award: Ricky Skaggs
• 1983 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
• 1984 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
• 1985 Entertainer of the Year: Ricky Skaggs
• 1985 Instrumental Group of the Year: Ricky Skaggs Band
• 1987 Vocal Duo of the Year: Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White

IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Awards[link]

• 1998 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 1998 Album Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for Bluegrass Rules!
• 1999 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2000 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2000 Instrumental Album Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
• 2000 Recorded Event Of The Year: David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Frank Wakefield, Sam Bush, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs & Buck White for Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
• 2002 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2003 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2004 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2005 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2006 Instrumental Group Of The Year: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• 2008 Recorded Event of the Year: Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother; Featuring Everett Lilly, Bea Lilly, Charles Lilly, Daniel Lilly, Mark Lilly, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Billy Walker, Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, David Ball, Charlie Cushman, Larry Stephenson, Joe Spivey, Eddie Stubbs, Jason Carter, Dickey Lee, Freddy Weller, Mike Bub, Rad Lewis, Andy May, Darrin Vincent, Marcia Campbell, Clay Rigdon, Eric Blankenship and Bill Wolfenbarger (artists); Charles Lilly & Bill Wolfenbarger (producers); Swift River Music

BluegrassJournal.com Readers Poll: We Are Family; Jeff & Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family & The Easter Brothers (artists); Jeff & Sheri Easter (producers); Daywind Records

Other Awards and Accomplishments[link]

• R&R Best New Artist
• Billboard magazine's Artist of the Year
• Musician Magazine- Voted One of the Top 100 Guitarists of the Century
• Artist of the Decade- Listeners' Poll Award BBC Radio 2
• CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music rank #37 in 2003.
• Judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards

References[link]

• Independent Music Awards - Past Judges
• 1997 Interview with Ricky Skaggs
• Himes, Geoffrey. (1998). "Ricky Skaggs". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 486–7.
• Ricky Skaggs, age 7, plays with Flatt & Scruggs on the Martha White Show
• Ricky Skaggs articles, interviews and CD reviews at Country Standard Time
• Ricky Skaggs Biography

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Skaggs Family Records
• Ricky Skaggs at the Internet Movie Database
• Ricky Skaggs at Allmusic

Albert Lee
Albert Lee The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, August 2007
Background information
Birth name	Albert Lee
Also known as	Mr. Telecaster
Born	(1943-12-21) 21 December 1943 (age 68) Leominster, England
Genres	Country Rockabilly Rock and roll R&B
Occupations	Musician, Songwriter, Musical director
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin
Years active	1959–present
Labels	A&M, Diamond Records, MCA, Heroic Records, Castle, Magnum, Polydor, Sugar Hill
Associated acts	Heads Hands & Feet, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Ricky Skaggs, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, The Everly Brothers
Website	www.albertlee.co.uk
Notable instruments
1952, 1953, 1960 Fender Telecaster Ernie Ball Music Man custom Albert Lee Signature Model 1958 Gibson J-200 1958 Gibson Les Paul Custom Gibson Everly Brothers model 1958 Fender Stratocaster

Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres. He has additionally maintained a solo career and is noted as a composer and musical director as well.

Early life[link]

Lee grew up in Blackheath, London. His father was a musician, and Lee studied piano, taking up the instrument at age seven.^[1] During this time, he became a fan of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. He took up guitar in 1958 when his parents bought him a second-hand Höfner President which he later traded in for a Czechoslovakian Grazioso, the forerunner of the Futurama. Lee left school at the age of 16 to play full-time.

Career[link]

Early career in England[link]

Lee was with a variety of bands from 1959 onwards, playing mostly R&B, country music and rock and roll. In addition to Buddy Holly, his early guitar influences included Cliff Gallup, Grady Martin, The Everly Brothers, Scotty Moore, James Burton and Jerry Reed.^[2] Lee first experienced commercial success as the lead guitarist with Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds. Lee says that he enjoyed playing the Stax-type material, but he really wanted to play country music. Consequently he left Farlowe and the Thunderbirds in 1968.

During his time playing with Heads Hands & Feet, Lee became a "guitar hero", playing his Fender Telecaster at breakneck speed.^[3] Heads Hands & Feet became a very popular live band in the UK, making appearances on The Old Grey Whistle Test and also in Europe, where they appeared on the German music programme Beat-Club.

International success[link]

In 1971, Lee performed with Deep Purple's keyboard player Jon Lord on a live recording of Lord's Gemini Suite. That opus was a follow-up to Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra. Ritchie Blackmore had played the guitar at the first live performance of the Gemini Suite in September 1970, but declined the invitation to appear on the live studio version, which led to the involvement of Lee. Other performers were Yvonne Elliman, Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Tony Ashton and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the late Sir Malcolm Arnold.

Lee left for Los Angeles, California in 1974 and joined The Crickets through his friend bassist Rick Grech (Blind Faith) who also included Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison. The band cut three albums together including A Long Way From Lubbock. He also received many offers of session work. In 1976, Lee was asked to join Emmylou Harris's Hot Band, replacing one of his heroes, James Burton, who was returning to perform with Elvis Presley. The Hot Band featured other musicians such as Ricky Skaggs and Rodney Crowell. Starting in 1978, Lee worked for five years with Eric Clapton, playing and singing for a live concert recording at the Budokan in Japan.

Lee was responsible for The Everly Brothers 1983 reunion concert and was its musical director.^[4] He played regularly with the Everlys for over twenty years.

In 1987, Lee was invited by Gerry Hogan to headline at a steel guitar festival in Newbury, Berkshire. Lee was at first intimidated by the prospect of having to front a band, however, the gig was successful and he now tours with Hogan's Heroes on a regular basis. Hogan's Heroes are renowned for attracting celebrities to their gigs. Stars such as Eric Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel, Lonnie Donegan, Dave Edmunds, Marty Wilde, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Don Everly, Emmylou Harris, Sonny Curtis and Rodney Crowell have all jammed with the band at one time or another.

In 2002, Lee appeared at the Concert for George. Also in 2002, Lee received a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance for Foggy Mountain Breakdown from the CD Earl Scruggs and Friends. In September 2006 Lee took part in Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar—the first definitive theatrical journey through the guitar’s colourful and surprisingly controversial 3500-year history. Lee appeared at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival on 28 July and performed with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute show at The O2 in London on 10 December. A new Albert Lee and Hogan's Heroes album entitled Like This was released in spring 2008 to coincide with their European tour. Lee continues to work in the studio and tours on a regular basis with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. He lives in Malibu, California.

Awards, accolades and legacy[link]

Albert Lee performing, 2006. The guitar is a Music Man Albert Lee

Lee has received many awards for his playing, including the five times consecutive winner of Guitar Player magazine's "Best Country Guitarist".^[5] Lee is known within the music industry for his speed of playing and his technical virtuosity^[6] and yet by the same token, one of the most melodic, playing slower passages approximating the sound of the pedal steel guitar with his Music Man and Telecaster guitars which are equipped with B-Benders.

He is known as "the guitar player's guitar player"^[6] because of the presence of so many guitarists, famous or unknown, everywhere he performs. Albert Lee is also referred to as "Mr. Telecaster".^[7] A long-time Telecaster player, Lee wrote a foreword to A.R. Duchossoir's book detailing the history of the instrument.

Albert Lee's song "Country Boy" helped to redefine country guitar for a whole generation of players, and was later to become a huge hit for multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs.

Despite positive press from Melody Maker and New Musical Express, Lee has never achieved any great commercial success in terms of record sales during his career, but more as a live performer, session player and sideman, perhaps due to his self-effacing stage presence. Lee has been described by his peers who include Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore, as a complete gentleman who does not know the meaning of the word ego.^[3]

Earl Scruggs, commenting on Albert Lee has stated: "I have been a fan and admirer of his guitar work from the first moment I heard him play. I am constantly amazed at his talent. I am sure there are many guitar players who have been influenced by his style and will continue to be influenced for years to come. Albert is in every sense of the word, a genuine guitar wizard".^[8]

It is widely quoted that Eric Clapton is on record as stating that Albert Lee is, in his opinion, "the greatest guitarist in the world." Emmylou Harris has stated that Lee is "a brilliant guitar player. His sound is unmistakable—often emulated, never equalled. When Saint Peter asks me to chronicle my time down here on earth, I'll be able to say (with pride if that's allowed) that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee."^[9]

Reflecting on the Heads Hands & Feet period of his career, Lee has stated: "What amazes me is how many musicians in Nashville have a copy of our first album in their personal record collections, and still ask me what happened to the band."

Guitar collection[link]

Albert Lee owns more than 25 guitars, including Don Everly's Gibson J-200. The Gibson Guitar Corporation made one for Don Everly and the other for Phil. The guitars have an all black, high gloss lacquered finish, and are equipped with twin Everly Brothers white pickguards. The Everly Brothers manager Wesley Rose had wanted the guitar to be presented to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but Everly informed him that guitars like that should be played, not kept sitting in a glass case. Don Everly presented it to Lee, along with his Gibson Everly Brothers model.^[2]

Eric Clapton gave Lee the Gibson Les Paul Custom that he played while with Delaney and Bonnie. Lee also plays his signature Music Man (the guitar shown in the photographs) and a 1950s Telecaster (both with custom B-Benders), a 1958 Stratocaster and a Martin 000-28 acoustic.^[2]

Confusion with Alvin Lee[link]

Albert Lee is often confused with Alvin Lee^{[citation needed]}. This confusion has led to Alvin Lee being incorrectly credited on many albums in the past^{[citation needed]}.

Partial Band List[link]

• Chris Farlowe And The Thunderbirds
• The Crickets
• Country Fever
• Green Bullfrog
• Heads Hands & Feet
• Emmylou Harris and The Hot Band
• Hogan's Heroes (guitar and vocals)
• Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings
• Biffbaby's All Stars, featuring: Albert Lee, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Morse, and Steve Lukather. In association with Ernie Ball products

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• Albert Lee — Black Claw/Country Fever
• Poet And The One Man Band — Poet And The One Man Band LP(actually Heads Hands & Feet) (1969)
• Heads Hands & Feet — Heads, Hands & Feet LP(1971)
• Heads Hands & Feet — Tracks LP(1972)
• Heads Hands & Feet — Let's Get This Show On The Road!
• Heads Hands & Feet — Jack Daniels Rare Old No.7
• Heads Hands & Feet — Old Soldiers Never Die LP(1973)
• Heads Hands & Feet — Home From Home - The Missing Album LP(1968; unissued until 1995)
• 1979 - Albert Lee — Hiding
• 1982 - Albert Lee — Albert Lee
• Albert Lee — Speechless
• Albert Lee — Country Guitar Man (Re-release of "Old Soldiers Never Die" by Heads Hands & Feet)
• Albert Lee — Gagged But Not Bound
• 1982 - Albert Lee — Real Wild Child(It's the very same omonimus 1972's album, with a different tracklist order and an adtional song - "Ain't Got No Reason").
• Albert Lee — That's All Right Mama
• Albert Lee — Heartbreak Hill
• Albert Lee — Road Runner
• Albert Lee — Advanced Country Guitar (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Master Session (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Country Legend (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Highlights (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Guitar Heroes (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Country Boy (DVD)
• Albert Lee — Guitar Techniques (DVD)
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — In Full Flight!
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Tear It Up
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — In Between The Cracks
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Live In Paris (DVD)
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Like This
• Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Live at the Stazione Birra – Rome, 2009 (DVD)

Featured appearances (partial listing)[link]

• Bo Diddley — The London Bo Diddley Sessions
• Jerry Lee Lewis — The London Sessions
• Eddie Harris — E.H. in the U.K. (Atlantic, 1973)
• Emmylou Harris — Luxury Liner, The Ballad of Sally Rose, Blue Kentucky Girl, Roses in the Snow, Evangeline (Guitars, Mandolin)
• Eric Clapton — Just One Night, Another Ticket, Money and Cigarettes
• John Prine — The Missing Years (Guitar, Mandolin, Piano)
• Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache
• Jon Lord — Gemini Suite
• Earl Scruggs — Earl Scruggs and Friends
• Paul Kennerley — The Legend of Jesse James (Guitars, Vocals, Mandolin)
• The Crickets — Long Way From Lubbock, The Crickets and Their Buddies
• Joe Cocker — Sting Ray
• Nicolette Larson — The Very Best Of Nicolette Larson
• Rodney Crowell — The Essential Rodney Crowell
• Dolly Parton - White Limozeen
• The Return Of Spinal Tap — DVD (As himself, playing on "Break Like The Wind")
• John 5 — Death Valley
• Carlene Carter — I Fell in Love
• Foster and Lloyd — Version of the Truth
• Nanci Griffith — I Knew Love
• Hugh Moffatt — Dance Me Outside
• Shakin Stevens — Hot Dog
• Everly Brothers— Reunion Concert (Guitars, Piano, Musical Director)
• Don Everly — Sunset Towers
• The Refreshments — Cover of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock"
• Dave Edmunds — "Sweet Little Lisa"
• Marcel Dadi — Nashville Rendez-vous
• Bert Jansch — Heartbreak
• Jerry Scheff — Fire Down Below
• Brad Paisley — Play
• Jackson Browne — Under The Falling Sky
• Herbie Mann -Reggae
• Jean-Pierre Danel — "Tulsa Time"
• Arlen Roth -Toolin' Around
• Steve Morse -The Introduction (lead guitar in "General Lee") and Stand Up (vocals and guitar in "Rockin' guitars")

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Guinness Who's Who Of Country Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-726-6
• Watts, Derek, (2008). Country Boy: A Biography of Albert Lee. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., ISBN 978-0-7864-3658-3

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Albert Lee and Hogan's Heroes Official website

Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin at Northeastern University on April 11, 2007
Born	(1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 39) New York City, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Years active	Since 2002
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humor, musical comedy, wit/wordplay, sketch comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday Life, American Culture, Random Subjects
Influences	Steven Wright, Eddie Izzard, Emo Philips, Mitch Hedberg, Socrates
Notable works and roles	· Demetri Martin. Person.  · Correspondent on The Daily Show  · Himself/Various on Important Things with Demetri Martin  · Elliot Tiber in Taking Woodstock (2009)
Website	www.demetrimartin.com

Demetri Martin (born May 25, 1973) is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.

Early life[link]

Demetri Martin was born to a Greek American family^[1] in New York City, New York, and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey. He is the son of Lillian, a nutritionist, and Dean C. Martin, now deceased, a Greek Orthodox priest.^[2] Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995. Although he was accepted into Harvard Law School, he went to New York University School of Law after he received a full scholarship.^[3]

Career[link]

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central's stand-up showcase Premium Blend. At the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he won the Perrier award with his show If I....^[4] The show was turned into a British television special in 2004. From 2003 to 2004, Martin wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien.^[5] In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while alternating between playing harmonica and talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where his jokes came from. Martin's mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he has appeared as the named "Senior Youth Correspondent" and on which he hosts a segment called "Trendspotting". He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace.^[6] On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on The Daily Show, talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD titled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member Will Forte and stand-up comedian Leo Allen.

Martin returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2006, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment "Professional Important News with Demetri Martin". In 2007, he starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for "Someone to Love" as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the Travis single "Selfish Jean", in which he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.^[7]

He also had a part in the movie The Rocker (2008) starring Rainn Wilson. Martin played the part of the videographer when the band in the movie was making their first music video.

In 2009, he hosted and starred in his own television show called Important Things With Demetri Martin on Comedy Central. Later in June, it was announced his show had been renewed for a second season.^[8] The second season premiered, again on Comedy Central, on February 4, 2010. Martin has stated that Important Things will not return for a third season.

Prior to completing work on his second season, Martin starred in the comedy-drama film Taking Woodstock (2009), directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In the film Martin plays Elliot Tiber, a closeted gay artist who has given up his ambitions in the city to move upstate and help his old-world Jewish family run their Catskill Mountains motel. The film is based on the book written by Tiber.

On April 25, 2011, Martin released his first book, titled This Is a Book by Demetri Martin.

Martin was slated to portray Paul DePodesta as Oakland Athletics assistant GM to Billy Beane in the 2011 movie Moneyball, however was dropped and Jonah Hill took his place in the movie.

Plans[link]

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role.^[9] He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch that he sold to Columbia Pictures.

Martin also signed a blind script deal with CBS in October 2010 to produce, write, and star in his own television series.^[10]

After CBS was shown the pilot for the series, they decided not to air it.^[11]

On August 11, 2011, Fox ordered a presentation of a new animated show they might air.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] If I

If I is a Perrier Comedy Award-winning comedy one-man show written and performed by Demetri Martin at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.^[12] It was also aired on British television as a special. The show is an autobiographical examination of Martin's life, as seen through various definitions of the word "if."

The title of the special comes from a lengthy palindromic poem that Martin wrote; the words "if I" are at the center of the poem.^[13]

Comedic style[link]

Martin is known for being an unconventional stand-up comic. He uses one-liners and drawings on a "large pad", as well as accompanying his jokes with music on either guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, toy bells, ukulele, or tambourine, sometimes all at once.^[14] He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence (both use deadpan one-liners in their acts) and he is also a fan of Bill Cosby.^[15]

Personal life[link]

According to a July 2011 interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Demetri had a short-lived marriage to a girl he knew from high school. They began dating after high school and got married when he was in NYU Law School and she was attending NYU Medical School. He was aged 25 and in the end of his marriage when his stand-up career began.^[3]

He is extremely allergic to nuts and peanuts.^[16]

Martin moved to Santa Monica, California in 2009.^[17]

Filmography[link]

• Invite Them Up (2005)
• These Are Jokes (2006)
• Demetri Martin. Person. (2007)
• Important Things with Demetri Martin (2009–2010)

Filmography and television work[link]

Written works[link]

• This Is a Book, April 2011, ISBN 978-0446539708.

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (May 2012)

• Official website
• Demetri Martin on Myspace
• Demetri Martin at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview from November, 2006, in Onion AV Club
• Interview from October 2006, in The DePaulia
• Article, in The Scotsman
• Article, in Gelf Magazine
• Interview by Brian M. Palmer
• MP3 Audio Interview on The Sound of Young America public radio show and podcast
• Interview Believer Mag
• New Jersey Monthly Magazine
• Fresh Air, NPR.org

Del McCoury Band
Ronnie McCoury, Jason Carter, Robbie McCoury, Del McCoury, and Alan Bartram performing at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, California in 2005.
Background information
Genres	Bluegrass Jam band
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Sugar Hill
Associated acts	Steve Earle, Dierks Bentley
Website	www.delmccouryband.com
Members
Del McCoury Ronnie McCoury Robbie McCoury Jason Carter Alan Bartram

The Del McCoury Band is a bluegrass band. Originally Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals with Del on guitar and his brother Jerry on bass, the band went through a number of changes until the 1980s when the band solidified its line-up, adding McCoury's sons, Ronnie and Robbie on mandolin and banjo, respectively. In 1988, the "Dixie Pals" name was dropped in favor of the current name. Fiddler Tad Marks and bass player Mike Brantley joined in the early 1990s while the band became a national touring act. In 2004 they were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for It's Just the Night, and in 2006 they won that category for The Company We Keep.

The band recorded with Steve Earle on his 1999 album The Mountain. The band has also often performed in recent years with The Lee Boys, with setlists mixing bluegrass, funk and gospel with extended jams on many songs.

The Travelin' McCourys are an offshoot of the Del McCoury Band, featuring all current (2009) members of the band minus Del, augmented by guitarist Cody Kilby on live performances. The Travelin' McCourys also often play joint concerts with The Lee Boys.

Band members[link]

• Del McCoury - guitar (1967–present)
• Ronnie McCoury - mandolin (1981–present)
• Robbie McCoury - banjo (1987–present)
• Jerry McCoury - bass (1967–1989)
• Mike Brantley - bass (1989–1992)
• Mike Bub - bass (May 1992 - June 2005)
• Alan Bartram - bass (August 2005–present)
• Billy Baker - fiddle (1967)
• Tad Marks- fiddle (1990–1992)
• Jason Carter - fiddle (1992–present)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Contributions[link]

• Song of America (2007) - "The Times They Are a-Changin'"

External links[link]

• Discography at Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings
• Official website
• Del McCoury Band collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939 in York, PA^[1]) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively. In June 2010, he received a National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts and in 2011 he was elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

Career[link]

McCoury has had a long career in bluegrass. Although originally hired as banjo player, he sang lead vocals and played rhythm guitar for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1963, with whom he first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. McCoury briefly appeared with the Golden State Boys in 1964 before taking a series of day jobs in construction and logging, while continuing to work as an amateur musician in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.^[2]

In the 1980s his sons began performing with him. Fiddler Tad Marks and bass player Mike Brantley joined McCoury's group in early 1990s. McCoury's group toured widely throughout the US. They relocated to Nashville, Tennessee as they began to attract attention. Fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub joined in 1992. Alan Bartram joined the band as bassist in 2005. McCoury became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in October 2003.

McCoury was also one of many performers at The Clearwater Concert at Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2009. The event celebrated the 90th birthday of Pete Seeger.

McCoury has influenced a great number of bands, including Phish, with whom he has shared the stage several times,^[3][4] and who have covered his songs.^[5] He has also performed with The String Cheese Incident and Donna the Buffalo, and recorded with Steve Earle.^[6] McCoury has covered songs by artists as diverse as The Lovin' Spoonful, Tom Petty, and Richard Thompson.^[5] McCoury has appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo, High Sierra,^[2] the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and the Newport Folk Festival.^[7] His television appearances include Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Show with David Letterman.^[8] Del has a very enthusiastic fan base, known as the Del-Heads.

In October 2009, The Del McCoury Band began offering fans recordings of their performances on USB flash drives available immediately after their concerts.^[9]

In June 2010, McCoury received a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts in the field of folk and traditional arts, including a stipend of $25,000.^[10]

DelFest[link]

Del McCoury Band at 2nd annual DelFest, 2009

In 2008, Del McCoury started DelFest, an annual bluegrass festival in Cumberland, Maryland, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds ^[11]

Discography[link]

Del McCoury, 2005

Del McCoury[link]

Del McCoury Band[link]

Awards[link]

Del McCoury has won 31 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year four consecutive times^[12] (nine total^[7]). McCoury has also won IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year four times. In 2004 he was nominated for the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy Award for It's Just The Night, and in 2006 he won his first Grammy Award, in the same category, for The Company We Keep.^[7]

International Bluegrass Music Association Awards[link]

• 1990 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury
• 1991 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury
• 1992 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury
• 1994 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 1994 Album of the Year – A Deeper Shade of Blue; Del McCoury
• 1996 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 1996 Entertainer of the Year – Del McCoury
• 1996 Male Vocalist of the Year – Del McCoury
• 1997 Instrumental Group of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 1997 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 1997 Album of the Year – True Life Blues – The Songs of Bill Monroe; Sam Bush, Vassar Clements, Mike Compton, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Pat Enright, Greg Garing, Richard Greene, David Grier, David Grisman, John Hartford, Bobby Hicks, Kathy Kallick, Laurie Lewis, Mike Marshall, Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Jim Nunally, Scott Nygaard, Mollie O'Brien, Tim O'Brien, Alan O'Bryant, Herb Pedersen, Todd Phillips, John Reischman, Peter Rowan, Craig Smith, Chris Thile, Tony Trischka, Roland White.
• 1998 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 1999 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 2000 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 2002 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 2002 Song of the Year – 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; The Del McCoury Band (artists), Richard John Thompson (writer)
• 2003 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 2004 Entertainer of the Year – The Del McCoury Band
• 2004 Album of the Year – It’s Just the Night; The Del McCoury Band

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Del McCoury Band official website
• Del McCoury Band on Myspace
• Discography at Discography of Bluegrass Sound Recordings

v t e Bluegrass music Typical instruments Acoustic guitar · Banjo · Dobro · Fiddle · Mandolin · Upright bass Stylistic origins Blues · Country music · Folk music · Old-time music Sub- and fusion genres Traditional bluegrass · Progressive bluegrass · Bluegrass gospel · Czech bluegrass Notable festivals Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival · California Bluegrass Association Father's Day Bluegrass Festival · Delfest · Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival · High Sierra Music Festival · Kentucky Festival of the Bluegrass · Merlefest · San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival · South Carolina State Bluegrass Festival · River City Bluegrass Festival · Rockygrass · Telluride Bluegrass Festival · Wintergrass Other International Bluegrass Music Museum · International Bluegrass Music Association · International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame · Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America · Bluegrass Unlimited Category · Portal