Founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band John McEuen announced his immediate departure from the group, which he assembled in 1966. The multi-instrumentalist cited some contentious reasons for departing the band so suddenly.

“Because of this relationship, I have grown to learn from mistakes and value the ‘eye-opening’ experience. I have more stories than you can shake a pick at,” McEuen said.

He continued, “In December 2015, I received confirmation from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Inc. that I would become an ‘employee’—no longer a member of the corporation that I helped to build. In assessing the situation and our musical, performance and business differences, the timing is appropriate for my departure. I will move forward with great pride in my personal and musical contributions to NGDB and now can fully concentrate on my independent endeavors.”