Biography

True Lonesome Records
truelonesomerecords@gmail.com
Nashville, Tennessee

John Cowan, born and raised in Minerva, Ohio in 1953, did not grow up on bluegrass music as so many biographies would begin…but rather he was propelled into it by a job opening as the bass player and singer for New Grass Revival in 1972. No one would know that he would ultimately be that missing puzzle piece that proved instrumental in breathing new life into an entire industry.

Cultivating an experimental new sound that melted into the bluegrass genre and coined the phrase ‘Newgrass’ more than four decades ago, John Cowan’s career may be one of the most influential and well-respected of our time.

Historically, Cowan, with bandmates Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Curtis Burch, Bela Fleck and Pat Flynn, launched New Grass Revival welcoming millions of new fans to the genre with their captivating brand of bluegrass. Their music changed the face of the genre forever. And John Cowan has the voice that has enchanted audiences for decades.

A vocal luminary like John Cowan comes along once in a lifetime and his ability to remain fluent in all styles of music with his singing has led him to perform and record in country, bluegrass, and gospel to soul, jazz, and rock. The list of his collaborations is extensive and he has been named as an influence for some of the most high-profile artists in the world. He is a member of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

John Cowan returned to touring with the Doobie Brothers as their bassist and harmony vocalist in 2010, after having played for them briefly in the 90’s. When John’s not on the road with the legendary rock band, he has spent his time playing with his band, The John Cowan Band, as well as resuming his role as a notable Nashville session musician and harmony vocalist for artists such as Garth Brooks, Wynonna, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell and Travis Tritt. Fans will also see Cowan on stage often collaborating with other bluegrass and Americana acts like Darin & Brooke Aldridge, prior bandmate, Sam Bush, and most recently The HercuLeons, with Andrea Zonn.

In 2024, John signed on with Nashville-based record label, True Lonesome Records, to record a new solo project, his first since 2010’s SIXTY. He met label executive Eddie Sanders through partner Scott Vestal when Eddie asked him to sing harmony on his solo project.

"The recording of this album has been a "straight from the heart" event for me. Meeting Eddie Sanders through Scott Vestal has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving. I asked Eddie upon meeting him while singing on his own record if he'd want to write some music. To my pleasant surprise, he not only said yes but followed up on it soon thereafter. He is, flat out, a master songwriter. Eddie, Scott and I sat down to write with the goal of my doing a record that was more similar to my tenure with The New Grass Revival than the, for lack of a better term, Americana-ish records I've made in my career. I think we not only accomplished that mission but surpassed our own expectations. I'm happy and proud to have this record be stewarded by True Lonesome Records."
-John Cowan