Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Call It A Day On Traditional Touring

US country music stars, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, are calling it quits on traditional touring after 58 years in the music business.

The group – starring founding members Jeff Hanna (vocals, guitar) and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jimmie Fadden, with a rotating roster of additional bandmates – made the announcement on Facebook yesterday (17 January).

“The time has come for the band who has carried a torch for American country and roots music to say so long to the highways and byways they’ve travelled throughout their career,” a statement from the band’s management read.

But fans will get to say goodbye to the three-time Grammy-winning band as they will embark on their last traditional tour across the US from March through to July.

The ALL THE GOOD TIMES: The Farewell Tour will see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band accompanied by special guests Hank Williams Jr and Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit for just a handful of shows. You can find all the tour dates here.

In a statement of their own, the An American Dream band wrote, “’All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career. Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience—that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else.

“That's the very spirit we'll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!”

Fishin’ In The Dark, released in 1987, has been covered by numerous country music artists, including Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Dierks Bentley. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are also known for their classic tunes, including Mr. Bojangles, An American Dream, Modern Day Romance, and Long Hard Road.

Following the release of their 1989 album Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two – which featured special guests like Emmylou Harris, Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash, John Prine, John Denver and many more – the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band won the Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Recording and Co-producing Best Country Instrumental. They also won the CMA Award for Album of the Year.