Greg Brown, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion March 21, 2008

Greg Brown was born in the Hacklebarney section of southeastern Iowa and raised by a family that made words and music a way of life. His seasoned songwriting, storytelling, and music are deeply rooted in that place. He moves audiences with warmth, humor, a thundering voice and his unpretentious musical vision.

His mother played the electric guitar, his grandfather played the banjo, his grandmother was a poet, and his father was a Pentecostal preacher. Greg’s youth was spread across a map of the Midwest as they moved between churches, but music was always a staple. Gospel and hymns, classical, hillbilly, early rock and roll, country, and blues coalesced into a simmering stew of sound. Greg studied classical voice and piano as a child and also sang with choirs and in state competitions. At six he took up the pump organ and at twelve he learned the basics of guitar from his mother.

At 18, Greg won a contest to play an opening set for singer Eric Andersen in Iowa City, who then encouraged him to head east. Moving to New York, Greg landed a job at Gerdes Folk City in the Village running hootenannies. Next he tried Portland, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but after a few years he moved back to Iowa. He recorded a couple of albums on his own, then began working on A Prairie Home Companion and touring nationally.

Greg’s music is an intricate mix. It’s no wonder -- he is an intricate mix of a person. Though a touring musician for over thirty years, he has never abandoned those things that move him deeply: family, home, poetry and the natural world. Music and words flow through him and he uses them to paint simple yet powerful images on a canvas of gospel, blues, country, rock, and jazz. A firm believer in community and ecological responsibility, he often uses his music to support these causes, both indirectly and directly through benefit concerts and albums.

Greg continues to stay busy writing and performing, and with the release of an astounding 3 albums in 2007, 'Yellow Dog', 'Live From the Big Top', and the children's album 'Down At The Sea Hotel', he has been performing at festivals and theaters across North America. When not on the road, he splits his time between Iowa and Missouri with his children and wife Iris DeMent.

Official Website: http://www.thegreyeagle.com/calendar/