Biography

GRAMMY®-Award winner, member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, and now winner of the Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in Music given by 'Your Roots are Showing' (Ireland), Peter Rowan is a singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades.  From his early years playing under the tutelage of Bluegrass veteran Bill Monroe, to his time in Old & In the Way alongside Jerry Garcia, and his breakout as a solo musician and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base through a solid stream of recordings, collaborative projects, and constant touring.

Born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family, Rowan learned to play guitar from his uncle. He spent his teenage years absorbing the sights and sounds of the Hillbilly Ranch, a legendary Country music nightclub in Boston frequented by old-time acts like The Lilly Brothers and Tex Logan. In 1956 Peter Rowan formed his first band, the Cupids, while still in high school.

After three years in college, Rowan left academia  to pursue a life in music. Rowan began his professional career in 1963 as the singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the Bluegrass Boys, led by the founding father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. “One thing I started to like about the Monroe style was that there was a lot more blues in it than other styles of bluegrass,” reflects Rowan.  “It was darker.  It had more of an edge to it.  And yet it still had the ballad tradition in it, and I loved that.”

The late ‘60s and early 70’s saw Rowan involved in a number of rock, folk and bluegrass projects, including Earth Opera, Sea Train, Muleskinner, and the Rowans, where he played alongside brothers Chris and Lorin Rowan.  After the Rowan Brothers disbanded, Rowan, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and John Kahn formed a bluegrass band christened Old & In the Way.  It was during this incarnation that Rowan penned the song “Panama Red,” a subsequent hit for the New Riders of the Purple Sage and a classic ever since.

Rowan subsequently embarked on a well-received solo career in the late ‘70s, releasing critically acclaimed records such as Dustbowl Children (a Woody-Guthrie style song cycle about the Great Depression), Yonder (a record of old-time country music in collaboration with ace dobro player, Jerry Douglas) and two extraordinarily fine bluegrass albums, The First Whippoorwill and Bluegrass Boy, as well as High Lonesome Cowboy, a recording of traditional and old-time mountain music with Don Edwards and Norman Blake. Rowan’s recent releases- Quartet, a recording with the phenomenal Tony Rice and Legacy with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, coupled with a relentless touring schedule have further endeared Peter Rowan to audiences around the world.

Following on the heels of the celebrated album “Crucial Country: Live at Telluride,” Peter recorded his second album for Compass entitled “Old School” with memorable new songs such as “Doc Watson Morning” , “Drop The Bone” and “Keepin’ It Between The Lines (Old School)” with members of the current Bluegrass Band plus Chris Henry, Michael Cleveland, Bryan Sutton, Ronnie, Robbie  and Del McCoury and more. Since then the prolific singer songwriter has recorded and released Peter Rowan’s Twang an Groove Vol. 1 (his electric band with drummer Jamie Oldacker and bassist Mike Morgan) on There Records, Dharma Blues (produced by John Chelew and including Jack Casady, Jody Stecker, Patrick Korte and Manose Singh performing songs of the Buddhaverse) on Omnivore Records and  My Aloha, also on Omnivore Records. Peter recorded and released two bluegrass records on Compass Records, both of which reverted back to him-Legacy and The Old School- before joining Rebel Records’ stellar bluegrass lineup. Peter’s second Rebel release, Calling You From My Mountain, received a 2022 Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.

Internationally, Rowan often performs as a solo singer-songwriter, while stateside, along with solo appearances, he plays in four bands: the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, a quintet featuring  Keith Little, Chris Henry, Blaine Sprouse and Paul Knight; Big Twang Theory and its Texas Cousin Twang n Groove and rock bands The Free Mexican Air Force, and Peter Rowan Walls of Time.

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band

Peter Rowan's bluegrass career started as a Blue Grass Boy in 1964. By Bill Monroe's own admission, Peter sounded a lot like him. When the two harmonized together, they were said to have reached "heavenly heights." Monroe & Rowan co-wrote what has already become a bluegrass standard, Walls Of Time. Peter's touring bluegrass band consists of outstanding players Eric Thorin, bass; Chris Henry, Mandolin/Vocals; Julian Pinelli, fiddle and Max Wareham, banjo/vocal. The band features original songs written by Rowan along with Carter Family and Bill Monroe favorites. This is a winning combination for an audience that knows and loves this music!

Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory

Peter Rowan's newest musical configuration, Big Twang Theory, grew from his new songs and musical collaborations with dobroist Michael Witcher and bassist Paul Knight, both members of the current Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, electric guitarist Nina Gerber and Peter's son, guitarist-singer Michael Carter Rowan (Chartz). Drummers Larry Attamanuik (Alison Krauss, Emmy Lou Harris) Ken Owen (Ten Gallon Cats) and banjo player, Jeff Mosier (Mosier Bros, Blueground Undergrass) also appear with Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory when their schedule permits. Says Rowan, "I have always wanted a band that was rooted in bluegrass, but could add the twang of Hank Williams, Carl Perkins and Buddy Holly. They all absorbed Bill Monroe's bluegrass into honky-tonk and rockabilly. I grew up dancing to that music."Peter Rowan's Twang an' Groove Comprised of Peter Rowan (electric guitar and vocals), fiddler Blaine Sprouse, bassist Mike Morgan and drummer extraordinaire Jamie Oldaker, Twang n' Groove is where Rhythm and Blues meets Reggae at an all day Bluegrass pickin' party.

Peter Rowan & Crucial Reggae

Peter Rowan's diversity and sensitivity shine through in this jammin' reggae configuration. Some of Peter's most soulful original music comes from these performances. Reggae greats Tony Chin; guitar and Fully Fullwood; bass, when available, add to the excitement of a Crucial Reggae performance. Buyers have the option here of presenting either a five- or six-piece band, or the nine-piece band with the Burning Spear horn section. Whatever the configuration, the audience that hears this concert will dance into the night!

The Free Mexican Airforce

The Free Mexican Airforce is flying again! This is a high-velocity group that  features the  Grammy award winning Los Texmaniacs- Max Baca, Josh Maturino, Noel Hernandez and Daniel Martinez.

This is Peter Rowan plugged in and includes some of his most loved songs--Come Back to Old Santa Fe, Ride the Wild Mustang, Midnight Moonlight and, of course, Free Mexican Airforce!

Peter Roan Walls of Time

The Peter Rowan Walls of Time consists of outstanding musicians with over 100 years of combined recording and performance experience. Joining guitarist Peter Rowan are David Grier, Chris Henry, David Mansfield III, Mike Bub and Larry Atamanuik. The ensemble has graced the stages of numerous festivals domestically and abroad, entertaining audiences with original and traditional songs executed in vibrant harmony.

In April 2013 Peter Rowan released The Old School, a magnificent blending of old school sounds and players (Del McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Bobby Osborne and Buddy Picher) with some of the bright young talent such as Chris Henry, Ronnie & Robbie McCoury performing memorable new songs such as “Doc Watson Morning”, “Drop The Bone” and “Keepin’ It Between The Lines (Old School)”. The Old School followed the group’s debut album for Nashville’s Compass Records- Legacy; the recording, featuring traditional and original compositions, was produced by Compass owner/recording artist Alison Brown and includes Ricky Skaggs, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Del McCoury. Legacy received a Grammy nomination in 2010. Rebel Records was the home for Peter’s next bluegrass masterpiece, Carter Stanley’s Eyes, and 2022 saw Peter’s second Rebel release, featuring members of the latest incarnation of the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band.