Ronnie McCoury (born 1967) is a mandolin player, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of Del McCoury and has played mandolin in his father’s band since 1981, when he was 14. He won IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year eight years running, from 1993 to 2000, more than anyone except Adam Steffey. With his brother Rob he also leads the Travelin’ McCourys, who won a Grammy in 2018.
Why McCoury matters
McCoury is the heart of the Del McCoury Band’s sound, one of the most celebrated traditional bands in bluegrass. His mandolin keeps Monroe’s drive but plays it with a modern, polished punch. He also helped bluegrass reach rock and jam audiences. The Travelin’ McCourys play with funk and jam bands, and the family’s DelFest draws fans from both worlds. He has produced most of his father’s albums since 1996, which puts his ear behind some of the best-known bluegrass records of the last 30 years.
Life and career
McCoury was born on March 16, 1967, in York County, Pennsylvania. His father led Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals, so he grew up around bluegrass. At 9 he took violin lessons for two years, then quit for sports. At 13 he saw Bill Monroe play and picked up the mandolin. Six months later his father invited him into the band, in 1981. His brother Rob joined on banjo, and the band became the Del McCoury Band in 1988.
With fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Mike Bub, the band became one of the top acts in bluegrass. The IBMA named it Entertainer of the Year nine times. Ronnie won Mandolin Player of the Year every year from 1993 to 2000. He and Rob released Ronnie and Rob McCoury on Rounder in 1995. In 1999 he worked with David Grisman on Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza, which won two IBMA awards and earned a Grammy nomination. His first solo album, Heartbreak Town, came out on Rounder in 2000.
In 2009 the band’s instrumentalists formed the Travelin’ McCourys, a side band that plays with a wider range of styles. Guitarist Cody Kilby joined in 2015. The Del McCoury Band won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with The Company We Keep, and the Travelin’ McCourys won the same award in 2018. Ronnie has also recorded with Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and many others. He lives in Nashville.
Playing style
McCoury plays in the Monroe tradition with a strong right hand and a bright, cutting tone. His breaks are full of bluesy slides and double stops, but they are clean and well organized, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. His chop is tight and loud, and it locks with his father’s guitar.
He sings harmony while he plays, and his fills are built to support singers. On instrumentals he can stretch out with long lines that show his love of Sam Bush and David Grisman.
Influences and legacy
McCoury names Bill Monroe, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Alan O’Bryant, and the Osborne Brothers as influences. He has played for decades beside his father Del McCoury, his brother Rob, and fiddler Jason Carter, and later guitarist Cody Kilby.
He appeared on Jimmy Gaudreau’s 1994 album of young mandolin players. His long run of IBMA wins ended in 2001, when Chris Thile took the award, and Adam Steffey began his own streak.
Signature tunes and songs
Dark Hollow High on a Mountain Noppit Hill.
Essential recordings
A Deeper Shade of Blue, with the Del McCoury Band (Rounder, 1993) Ronnie and Rob McCoury (Rounder, 1995) The Cold Hard Facts, with the Del McCoury Band (Rounder, 1996) Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza (Acoustic Disc, 1999) Heartbreak Town (Rounder, 2000)
Awards and honors
IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year (1996, 2000) IBMA Album of the Year, True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe (1997) IBMA Album of the Year, It’s Just the Night (2004) Grammy Award, Best Bluegrass Album, The Company We Keep, with the Del McCoury Band Grammy Award, Best Bluegrass Album, with the Travelin’ McCourys (2018) IBMA Album of the Year, Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass (2019)
Watch and listen
A clip from McCoury’s Homespun lesson on bluegrass mandolin. He plays and explains his approach.
What to learn from McCoury
Learn a break to a Del McCoury song, then build it in three parts: a strong opening lick, a middle that follows the melody, and an ending that leads back into the vocal. McCoury’s breaks always have that shape. Once you think of a break as a short story with a start, middle, and end, your solos will sound finished instead of wandering.
Sources
Ronnie McCoury, Wikipedia Ronnie McCoury, IBMA award recipients The Travelin’ McCourys, Wikipedia Del McCoury Band, Wikipedia IBMA 2025 Bluegrass Music Awards Presented, Acoustic Music Scene
Related players
See the mandolin players hub and the mandolin guide. McCoury learned from Bill Monroe and Sam Bush. Adam Steffey and Sierra Hull won the IBMA award after him.