John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon is a folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known as a master of the hammered dulcimer. Since 1977 he has made nearly forty albums of traditional music, children's songs and topical ballads.
- Born
- 14 August 1952, Wausau, Wisconsin
- Plays
- Hammered dulcimer, Appalachian dulcimer, fiddle, banjo, guitar, autoharp, jaw harp
- Albums
- 38 since 1977
- Grammy nominations
- Six
Career
In his twenties McCutcheon travelled through Appalachia, learning from traditional musicians such as Roscoe Holcomb and Tommy Hunter. His first album, The Wind That Shakes the Barley, came out in 1977. The children's album Howjadoo (1983) led to seven more children's albums, which brought him five Grammy nominations for Best Musical Album for Children, and he has written three children's books.
Much of his work is politically and socially conscious songwriting for adult audiences. In 2011 he played the labour songwriter Joe Hill in Si Kahn's one-man play Joe Hill's Last Will. He has appeared many times at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Songs to know
- "Christmas in the Trenches", from Winter Solstice (1984), about the 1914 Christmas truce, one of his most successful songs
Selected albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1977 | The Wind That Shakes the Barley |
| 1983 | Howjadoo |
| 1984 | Winter Solstice |
| 1986 | Step By Step: Hammer Dulcimer Duets, Trios and Quartets |
| 2004 | Stand Up! Broadsides for Our Time |
| 2018 | Ghost Light |
Try one of his instruments with our Appalachian dulcimer guide or jaw harp guide. For more songs of working people, see Utah Phillips.