Peter Rowan (b. July 4, 1942, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American bluegrass musician and composer. Rowan plays guitar and mandolin, yodels and sings.

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Biography

While in high school in 1956, Rowan formed the Tex-Mex group The Cupids, which became locally famous, self-releasing a single. In college he discovered bluegrass after hearing The Country Gentlemen and The Stanley Brothers.

In 1963, he joined the Mother Bay State Entertainers and played mandolin on their record, The String Band Project .

In late 1965, the 23-year-old Rowan became a member of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys and recorded a total of fourteen songs with Monroe before forming Earth Opera with David Grisman in 1967. Earth Opera frequently opened for The Doors.

In 1969, Rowan joined Seatrain, along with Richard Greene. In 1973, Rowan and Grisman formed Old and in the Way with Vassar Clements, Jerry Garcia and John Kahn. The same year, Rowan, Greene, Grisman and Kahn joined Bill Keith, Clarence White and John Guerin to briefly perform as the group Muleskinner.

Rowan has recorded and performed with his brothers, Lorin and Chris, at various times, starting in 1972. Since then, he has been involved in many group and solo projects, including Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Airforce, and continues to tour.

Rowan composed songs performed by New Riders of the Purple Sage, including "Panama Red," "Midnight Moonlight" and "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy."

Rowan's most recent recording is Quartet (2007), the second collaboration with guitarist and bluegrass musician Tony Rice.

Discography

• Earth Opera , Earth Opera (1968)
• The Great American Eagle Tragedy , Earth Opera (1969)
• Seatrain , Seatrain (1970)
• The Marblehead Messenger , Seatrain (1971)
• Watch , Seatrain (1973)
• Muleskinner Live -- Original Television Soundtrack (1973)
• Muleskinner: A Potpourri Of Bluegrass Jam , Muleskinner (1973)
• Old and In the Way , Old and In the Way (1973)
• That High Lonesome Sound , Old and In the Way (1973)
• Breakdown , Old and In the Way (1973)
• The Rowans , The Rowans (1975)
• Sibling Rivalry , The Rowans (1976)
• Jubilation , The Rowans (1977)
• Peter Rowan (1978)
• Bluegrass Album, Rowan & Greene & The Red Hot Peppers (1979)
• Hiroshima Mon Amour , Rowan & Greene & The Red Hot Peppers (1979)
• Texican Badman (1980) -recorded in 1974 & 1979
• Medicine Trail (1980)
• Peter Rowan & the Wild Stallions (1981)
• The Walls of Time (1982)
• Revelry , Peter Rowan, Tex Logan & Greg Douglas (1983)
• San Antonio Sound (1983)
• Peter Rowan with The Red Hot Pickers (1984)
• Live Rockin' Tex-Mex , Flaco Jiménez and Peter Rowan (1984)
• The First Whippoorwill (1985)
• Hot Bluegrass , Peter Rowan, Bill Keith, & Jim Rooney (1985)
• San Antonio Sound (1996)
• New Moon Rising , Peter Rowan & The Nashville Bluegrass Band (1988)
• Dust Bowl Children (1990)
• All on a Rising Day (1991)
• Awake Me in the New World (1993)
• Tree on a Hill , Peter Rowan and the Rowan Brothers (1994)
• Yonder , Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas (1996)
• Bluegrass Boy (1996)
• New Freedom Bell , Druhá Tráva and Peter Rowan (1999)
• Reggaebilly (2001)
• High Lonesome Cowboy , Don Edwards and Peter Rowan (2002)
• Old and in the Gray , Old and in the Way (2002)
• Crazy People , The Rowan Brothers (2003)
• You Were There for Me , Peter Rowan & Tony Rice (2004)
• Quartet , Peter Rowan & Tony Rice (2007)

References