On their farewell tour, I caught Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a band that grew out of the Long Beach, California, scene as a jug band performing to make a few bucks so they didn’t have to work regular 9-to-5 jobs in 1966. Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden, original members of the band, are still jumping on the stage after 60 years. The band has gone through many changes in musicians and developed a unique sound and quality to their songs. Before long, they were being invited to perform across the nation, playing with legends. They opened for bands that many artists dreamed of— they were on “Johnny Carson,” and they lived in the “Dirt House” with Duane and Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers super group. In the early days, one of their bandmates was Jackson Browne.
They were the first U.S. band selected by the Russian government to tour Russia back in 1976. They played all over the country and released an album, Dirt, Silver and Gold. Coming back to the U.S., they didn’t waste any time appearing on “Saturday Night Live.” They were also asked to be the backup band for Steve Martin’s disco hit song, “King Tut.” Throughout the years, the band bounced from bluegrass, country, soft rock – wherever the music took them. They also did album collaborations with legends such as Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Bruce Hornsby, John Hiatt, Chris Hillman, and Roger McGuinn, as well as with with Maybelle Carter, Junior Huskey, Doc. Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Doc Watson, John Prine, and Earl and Randy Scruggs in their early years.
They have had so many different charted songs, but they have been well known for their version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” a Christian hymn originally written in 1907. Other hits were “Mr. Bojangles,” “Make a Little Magic,” and “Dance Little Jean” – the list goes on and on. With 27 albums released since 1967, their catalog includes songs that almost everyone has heard—whether at festivals, in films, or performed on stages across multiple countries.
As the concert started, the band took the stage to a cheering, excited audience. The average age of the fans was between 40 and 80 years old, but there was a good mix of ages from teens to grandparents. They opened with some of their fan favorites: “Cosmic Cowboy,” “Long Hard Road,” “Dance Little Jean,” and “Mr. Bojangles.” Running through their discography and wrapping up as an encore, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” blended with “The Weight (Take A Load Off Fanny)”. The crowd stood for the last three songs of the concert – some danced and others cheered. As we all walked to our cars, the hallways were abuzz with excitement and amazement that, after all these years, they could still draw a crowd and sound so good.
I have a personal connection to this band. When I was 13 years old, I walked into a record store. Does anyone remember record stores? I had my own money I had saved up from selling newspapers and recycling soda bottles. I walked up to a table full of cassette tapes. Do I need to explain what a cassette tape is? You can use the internet to find out what they are. I picked up a tape titled, All the Good Times, released in 1972, which is the name of this farewell tour. I picked it up because the song “Sixteen Tracks” grabbed my attention. I wore that cassette tape out, listening and re-listening to it. Over the years, I tracked a replacement for it. The Band, as they were later called, was the band that opened my mind to a wide variety of music, and I think later became an influence in my wanting to become a concert photographer. I was never able to see them in person when I younger. When I heard they were doing a farewell tour, I had to go see them – even if it meant I had to purchase a seat in the audience. For me, sitting in that seat in the center section was an emotional rollercoaster, taking me back to hanging out in my mom’s basement at 13, shooting pool, and listening to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. So, now I have dated myself, but I can guarantee that everyone of us has that one album, CD, or song that takes them back to a moment in time. That is the beauty of music and the influence it has on our lives. So, if you can catch the farewell tour, “All the Good Times Tour, I would – you will be an instant fan.
It is getting to an end of an incredible career for this band. Luckily, we can relive and hear their songs on streaming platforms all over the world. Check out these links for more of their discography.
https://www.facebook.com/nittygrittydirtband
https://www.instagram.com/nittygrittydirtband/?hl=en
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