Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

More than 40 years—and almost as many lineup shuffles—after they started, the country-rock pioneers of Nitty Gritty Dirty Band have settled into a comfortable, slightly anonymous groove that suits both their legend and their sound. A precursor to acts that went much bigger (including, but not limited to, Eagles and The Byrds), NGDB started mixing genres before it became fashionable. While those groups surpassed it sales-wise, Nitty Gritty maintained credibility via its classic 1972 album Will The Circle Be Unbroken, which featured bona fide country stars mingling with the then-youngish band. Though longer in the tooth and considerably less active now, Nitty Gritty Dirty Band is still touring and recording, most recently releasing 2009's Speed Of Life.

Updated 08/19/2010