Peter Rowan

  • Boston, MA
    hometown
  • Blues/Folk
    genre
  • 1963
    started
  • Bio
    full story
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About Peter Rowan


A major cult figure among progressive bluegrass aficionados, Peter Rowan participated in a number of adventurous projects in the late '60s and '70s before embarking on a highly productive solo career. Primarily a guitarist, Rowan also sang, yodeled, and played various members of the mandolin family. He was born in 1942 and grew up in Wayland, MA, near Boston; his parents and several relatives were musicians, and he and his brothers Chris and Lorin grew up playing both rock and bluegrass together. Rowan also formed a Tex-Mex band called the Cupids in high school, and after college he sang and played mandolin in the folk group the Mother Bay State Entertainers, whom he joined in 1963. He also played with Jim Rooney and Bill Keith, and in 1964 he joined Bill Monroe's legendary Blue Grass Boys as a vocalist and guitarist. He departed in 1967 to team up with mandolin virtuoso David Grisman in the eclectic, progressive-minded folk-rock band Earth Opera, who released two albums and often opened for the Doors. Rowan next moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and joined Seatrain, a bluegrass/rock hybrid outfit. He appeared on two albums over 1970-1971, then left to play with Jerry Garcia and Grisman in the bluegrass group Old & in the Way, also joining Grisman in Muleskinner.

In 1975, Rowan teamed with his brothers Chris and Lorin in the progressive bluegrass unit the Rowans, who released several acclaimed albums over the next few years. Rowan also performed with Flaco Jimenez in Mexican Airforce and issued his first two solo albums -- 1978's Peter Rowan and 1980's Medicine Trail -- on Flying Fish. He issued the Tex-Mex project Texican Badman on Appaloosa in 1981 as well as an album with his Nashville-based group, the Wild Stallions. 1982 brought The Walls of Time, the first in a long string of albums for the Sugar Hill label that lasted well into the '90s. Among the more notable, 1985's The First Whippoorwill was an affectionate tribute to Monroe, while 1988's New Moon Rising became the signature album of Rowan's solo career, featuring some of his most popular material. 1990's Dust Bowl Children was a completely solo performance, while 1991's All on a Rising Day continued his creative hot streak. Several more albums followed through 1996, including one, 1994's Tree on a Hill, that reunited him with Chris and Lorin; another, 1996's Yonder, paired him with dobro king Jerry Douglas for a set of duets. Rowan took a break from his solo career for a few years but continued to guest on albums by other artists, including the Czech folk group Druha Trava. He returned in 2002 with High Lonesome Cowboy, a collaborative effort with Don Edwards for Shanachie that also featured Tony Rice and Norman Blake. In 2004 Rowan released You Were There for Me, a long overdue collaboration with Tony Rice that resulted in another successful recording session in 2006 called Quartet. The Best of the Sugar Hill Years compilation followed in 2007. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

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Photos

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  • Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush perform among other talented musicians at the IBMA Awards in Nashville on Sept. 30, 2010.
    Peter Rowan
    Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush perform among other talented musicians at the IBMA Awards in Nashville on Sept. 30, 2010.
    IBMA
  • Peter Rowan (left) and Sam Bush jam at the IBMA Awards in Nashville on Sept. 30, 2010.
    Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan (left) and Sam Bush jam at the IBMA Awards in Nashville on Sept. 30, 2010.
    IBMA
  • Tony Rice and Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan
    Tony Rice and Peter Rowan
  • Tony Rice and Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan
    Tony Rice and Peter Rowan
  • Peter Rowan
    Ronald Rietman

News

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  • Peter Rowan
    Gillian Welch, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs Join Peter Rowan On Legacy
    American Songwriter
    - Richmond Folk Festival - Richmond, VA Sunday, October 10 - Richmond Folk Festival - Richmond, VA Friday, October 15 - Albino Skunk Bluegrass Festiva...
    Read More
  • Peter Rowan
    Gillian Welch, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs Join Peter Rowan On Legacy
    American Songwriter
    Spirit of the Suwannee Park - Live Oak, FL Sunday, October 24 - Spirit of the Suwannee Park - Live Oak, FL Thursday, November 4 - Cedar Cultural Cente...
    Read More
  • Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan & The Mosier Brothers, Commander Cody, Gov't Mule, Goo Goo Dolls, Futurebirds, BoomBox Set for Riverbend
    www.jambands.com
    Foreigner, Peter Rowan & The Mosier Brothers, Commander Cody, Gov't Mule, Goo Goo Dolls, Kaki King, Futurebirds, BoomBox and Ike Stubblefield are amon...
    Read More
  • Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan Donna The Buffalo The Lee Boys The Swingin Johnsons and More Set for Suwannee Valley Flood Jam
    www.jambands.com
    Hamilton, and Columbia Counties, dumping over 25 inches of rain. The Suwannee River rose, causing the destruction of businesses and homes. 1500 famili...
    Read More
  • Peter Rowan
    Victor Wooten Band, Peter Rowan, Poor Mans Whiskey and More to Play Trinity Tribal Stomp
    www.jambands.com
    Victor Wooten Band, Peter Rowan and Poor Mans Whiskey are among the acts slated to perform at this year's Trinity Tribal Stomp, set to run July 21-22 ...
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  • Peter Rowan
    Melvin Seals & JGB, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Peter Rowan, Sandy Rothman and More to Celebrate 10th Annual Jerry Day
    www.jambands.com
    named in his honor--the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater--in San Francisco's McLaren Park, located in Garcia's childhood community, the Excelsior District. T...
    Read More
  • Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan: The Old School
    www.jambands.com
    Bluegrass legend Peter Rowan is currently in the studio working on his upcoming Compass Records release, The Old School. For his new project, Rowan ha...
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  • Peter Rowan
    David Grisman, Peter Rowan, George Porter Jr. and More at the Mighty High Mountain Festival
    www.jambands.com
    David Grisman Quintet, Peter Rowan, George Porter Jr.'s Runnin' Pardners, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Johnny Sketch and T...
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  • Peter Rowan
    RockyGrass 2013: Sam Bush & Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Keller Williams w/ Travelin McCoury's and more
    www.jambands.com
    Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas and Friends, Keller Williams and The Travelin' McCoury's, Head for the Hills and many more will...
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  • Peter Rowan
    Peter Rowan, Sol Driven Train, Sister Sparrow & Dirty Birds at NC Brewers & Music Fest
    www.jambands.com
    Huntersville, NC on May 11. In addition to the music, there will also be a number of craft beers available for purchase throughout the festival. Ticke...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Telluride, CO, US Fly Me To The Moon Saloon
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 21 Friday
    Telluride, CO, US Town Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 7 Sunday
    Nicasio, CA, US Rancho Nicasio
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 11 Thursday
    Lexington, NC, US High Rock Outfitters
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 12 Friday
    Raleigh, NC, US Lincoln Theatre
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  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Morehead City, NC, US Carteret Community College
    Buy Ticket
  • Jul 28 Sunday
    Lyons, CO, US Planet Bluegrass
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 3 Saturday
    Ninilchik, AK, US Kenai Peninsula State Park
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 30 Friday
    Groveland, CA, US Camp Mather
    Buy Ticket
  • Aug 31 Saturday
    Mammoth Lakes, CA, US Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 2 Monday
    Bend, OR, US Mt. Bachelor, Timberline Lodge
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  • Sep 7 Saturday
    Rocheport, MO, US Les Bourgeois Vineyards
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 8 Sunday
    St Louis, MO, US The Old Rock House
    Buy Ticket
  • Sep 27 Friday
    Raleigh, NC, US Unknown venue
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  • Sep 28 Saturday
    Raleigh, NC, US Raleigh Convention Center
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  • Feb 22 Saturday
    Greensboro, NC, US Aycock Auditorium
    Buy Ticket

Discography

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  • The Old School (2013)
    Peter Rowan
    The Old School (2013)
    Compass
  • Legacy (2010)
    Peter Rowan
    Legacy (2010)
    Compass
  • Crucial Country: Live At Telluride (2006)
    Peter Rowan
    Crucial Country: Live At Telluride (2006)
    There
  • Quartet (2006)
    Peter Rowan
    Quartet (2006)
    Rounder
  • Reggaebilly! (2005)
    Peter Rowan
    Reggaebilly! (2005)
    A-Train Records
  • You Were There for Me (2004)
    Peter Rowan
    You Were There for Me (2004)
    Rounder
  • High Lonesome Cowboy (2002)
    Peter Rowan
    High Lonesome Cowboy (2002)
    Shanachie Records
  • Bluegrass Boy (1996)
    Peter Rowan
    Bluegrass Boy (1996)
    Sugar Hill (Country)
  • Yonder (1996)
    Peter Rowan
    Yonder (1996)
    Sugar Hill (Country)
  • Rowan & Wild Stallions (1996)
    Peter Rowan
    Rowan & Wild Stallions (1996)
    Appaloosa (Italy)
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