Rob McCoury
Best known for
Banjo
Lead Vocals
Rob McCoury is the banjo player for the Del McCoury Band, one of the most decorated groups in bluegrass history, and co-founder of the Travelin’ McCourys. With his brother Ronnie on mandolin and their father Del on guitar and lead vocals, the McCoury family band has dominated IBMA awards for three decades and has become a defining voice of traditional bluegrass in the modern era.
- Born Robin Floyd McCoury in York County, Pennsylvania, younger son of bluegrass legend Del McCoury and brother of mandolinist Ronnie McCoury. Attended his first bluegrass festival at six weeks old.
- Took up the banjo at age eight after seeing the Osborne Brothers at Sunset Park in West Grove, Pennsylvania. Learned primarily from his father, who taught patiently without pressure.
- In June 1986, at age 15, played his first gig with Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals as bass player at a festival in Bath, NY. Served as bassist for about a year and a half before switching to banjo in the spring of 1987, with his first banjo show being a benefit for Ola Belle Reed in Wilmington, Delaware.
- Graduated from Susquehannock High School in 1989. In May 1992, the McCoury family moved from Glen Rock, Pennsylvania to Nashville, Tennessee — a move Del made to gain better access to national media and touring infrastructure. The move proved transformative for the family’s career.
- Has been the Del McCoury Band’s banjo player continuously since 1987 — nearly 40 years — through all of the band’s IBMA-sweeping releases and its evolution from Rounder to McCoury Music.
- Named IBMA Banjo Player of the Year in 2015 and again in 2024. Won IBMA Recorded Performance of the Year in 1996 for the self-titled Ronnie & Rob McCoury album (Rounder).
- Co-founded the Travelin’ McCourys in 2009 with brother Ronnie, fiddler Jason Carter, bassist Alan Bartram, and guitarist Cody Kilby (later Jake Stargel). The band won the 2018 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for The Travelin’ McCourys.
- Has recorded and performed with Steve Earle (The Mountain), Billy Strings, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, and many others. Regular performer at DelFest, the annual festival founded by Del McCoury in 2008 in Cumberland, Maryland.
- Part of a tight family musical tradition — Ronnie’s son Heaven McCoury now plays guitar in the band, continuing the multi-generational lineage.
- Recognized in 2009 when Susquehannock High School presented both Rob and Ronnie with Distinguished Alumni Awards.
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I'll Fly AwayThe Del McCoury Band · American Legacies: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band (2011)
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The Del McCoury BandPlayed on recordings with The Del McCoury Band
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The Bluegrass BandPlayed on recordings with The Bluegrass Band
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Billy StringsPlayed on recordings with Billy Strings
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Del McCoury and David GrismanPlayed on recordings with Del McCoury and David Grisman
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David GrismanPlayed on recordings with David Grisman
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Steve Earle and the Del McCoury BandPlayed on recordings with Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band
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Bobby HicksPlayed on recording with Bobby Hicks
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Bobby Osborne and C.J. LewandowskiPlayed on recording with Bobby Osborne and C.J. Lewandowski
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Jason CarterPlayed on recording with Jason Carter
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Keller Williams with the Travelin' McCourysPlayed on recording with Keller Williams with the Travelin' McCourys
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Ronnie BowmanPlayed on recording with Ronnie Bowman
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Ronnie McCouryPlayed on recording with Ronnie McCoury
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The ChieftainsPlayed on recording with The Chieftains