Old Crow Medicine Show Reportedly Going On Hiatus – Chance McCoy’s Future Uncertain
Grand Ole Opry members and Nashville’s official house band Old Crow Medicine Show just finished up ringing in the New Year with a 2-night residency at the Ryman Auditorium in Music City, and now apparently will be going on an extended break. This is according to fiddle player Chance McCoy, who joined the 20-year-old legendary string band six years ago. The band also has no booked tour dates whatsoever on their calendar for the first time in a good while.
“Playing my last gig with Old Crow this new year,” Chance McCoy said on social media December 30th. “The band is going on hiatus for awhile and I have no idea if and when I’ll be back playing with the lads. It’s been an amazing six years. From living in a brokedown cabin on food stamps to winning a Grammy. My hats off to these fellas, now it’s time for them to take a much needed break.”
Old Crow Medicine Show has not addressed or announced any break or hiatus themselves. Saving Country Music reached out to their management, but inquiries were not immediately returned. As for Chance McCoy, he plans to be touring and dabbling in his own music during the hiatus. Along with fiddle, McCoy also plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, and contributes to vocals.
“I’ll be heading off to Scandinavia and the UK soon to begin a new chapter in my musical journey, my first solo tour,” Chance says. He has six shows booked in England starting late January. “I’ve made a fabulous new record and will be releasing that in 2019. Hope y’all will stick with me and get to witness something new and beautiful blooming. It’s been a wild ride and it ain’t over yet.”
Old Crow Medicine Show is one of country music’s most successful current string bands, winning two Grammy Awards, including Best Folk Album for Remedy in 2015, and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2013. Their last record was 2018’s Volunteer produced by Dave Cobb. Discovered by Doc Watson while busking outside of a drug store in North Carolina, they’re one of the few authentic string bands who’ve been able to find staying power and mainstream success, including co-authoring the song “Wagon Wheel,” which became a #1 hit for Darius Rucker.
More information on the Old Crow Medicine Show hiatus when it becomes available.
January 1, 2019 @ 10:33 am
Will we ever get to know SCM’s Song of the year?
January 1, 2019 @ 10:35 am
Very momentarily.
Thought this was important news about a very important band. A bit stupefied and a little bit scared how few people seem to care about this.
January 1, 2019 @ 10:43 am
I personally never listened to them that much, but I reckon this kind of news doesn’t get people to leave many replies, though they may read it. For some topics (such as year-end lists or rants about mainstream country acts) you’ll always be receiving more traffic than on articles like this one.
I know that maybe this wasn’t the best place to leave my comment, but I did it cause I was sure you would have read it ahah
January 1, 2019 @ 10:57 am
No worries Angelo.
January 1, 2019 @ 11:36 am
I’ve been into these guys since the year 2001. They came out of nowhere, sidewalk buskers to playing Merlefest to touring pretty quickly. Seen them in all their different configurations. I’m a huge fan of Critters songwriting. Love Ketch Secors fiddling and singing. The last show I saw, I was blown away by their energy and the ferocity of the crowd. I wondered how they could do this night after nighr. My point is, this band is pedal to the metal 24/ 7. It’s gotta take a toll. I’m not surprised.
January 3, 2019 @ 11:21 am
I care about this a whole lot!! I absolutely love Old Crow, and I’d be devastated if they just stopped existing. Someone did make a good point that Willie, Gill, Kevin, and now Chance are gone so when exactly does it stop being “OCMS” and when does it become Ketch & Critter with a backing band?
January 1, 2019 @ 10:49 am
Well, despite being over the pond, I care about this and am quite depressed by it. Although I’ll admit, I didn’t enjoy Volunteer as much as the other albums. Hmmm.
January 1, 2019 @ 11:34 am
I’ll say that this band is very important to me. It’s horrible news, but they have survived “trials and troubles” in the past. They have evolved and endured, and I think every album has been excellent, despite the mass of haters unaccepting if their change.
I’m nervous about what will happen. Chance was very important for their comeback. Willie is gone, Kevin is gone. Gill is gone. At what point does Old Crow stop being Old Crow?
I don’t want the Magic of OCMS to extinguish from the universe, but I also don’t know what is right for all the members of the band. If they are gone, I will always regret deciding I couldn’t afford to go see them on NYE at the Ryman this year.
I wonder if they knew it was time when they made this album (one of their best in my opinion). Whirlwind is a reflection on the life of the band. I’ve always told my wife that when I hear that song it feels like it has been playing since the beginning of time, and we just have a window to that section. It closes out their last album to date and would be a fitting goodbye.
I wish I could tell them all what their music means to me. Their music feels like family to me. I wish them all the best, and to find the right path forward.
I’m sure Ketch needs a hug right now. I wish I could give it to him.
January 1, 2019 @ 11:59 am
They did a signing after one of their concerts I went to, so I stuck around. They talked to everyone, and Ketch was just lovely.
January 1, 2019 @ 11:47 am
I wonder how they feel about Chance making the announcement, seems like this would have been something that the band would announce.
January 1, 2019 @ 12:17 pm
Their current album is an embarrassment.
January 1, 2019 @ 4:30 pm
I love O.C.M.S., they are one of the most authentic bands on the planet. Idk which album my brother downloaded to this crappy little MP3 player I used to listen to; it’s the album with “Take Em Away,” “Tell It To Me,” “We’re All In This Together” ect…mighta been O.C.M.S., anyway I love that album and everyone since. I understand they need a great, to put that much energy into they type music they play…they give every performance their all. I wish them all well and hopefully we’ll all hear some new music sooner rather than later.
January 1, 2019 @ 5:25 pm
Sad news, but everyone needs a break every so often. I noticed the band is running a “blow out” sale on some of their merchandise (on their website store). I wonder if it is tied to the hiatus. The advert reads:
Old Crow Medicine Show is running a blowout storage unit sale featuring rare & discontinued items from across the last decade. Some t-shirts are priced as low as $5!
January 1, 2019 @ 9:46 pm
20 years is a good run for any band……. They might need some time apart to get rejuvenated for the coming years!!
January 2, 2019 @ 4:39 am
Maybe that’s just what the guys told Chance.
OCMS is the concert benchmark. No one works harder and puts more into a show than Secor and Co. I’m always amazed how they regionalized setlists and remember past venues played when they played cities and could effortlessly roll out a personalized tribute. When they play Pittsburgh they alway reference Iron City beer (usually after a fight breaks out), acknowledges the West Virginians in the crowd, pay homage to the Steel City’s roots (“From Allegheny to the ol’ Ohio, we’re all gonna join the AFL-CIO) and usually tells a personal story before a tribute (The Grateful Dead Pittsburgh 1974 cassette in Secor’s sister’s car).
Hopefully, they aren’t down long and the standard deteriorates.
January 2, 2019 @ 7:36 am
We’d gotten Trampled by Turtles back this year—my guess is that OCMS will make a similar triumphant return.
January 2, 2019 @ 8:41 am
Surprised the band wouldn’t make a group announcement about this as opposed to one guy saying something. I hope this isn’t the end.
January 2, 2019 @ 9:50 am
Old Crow Medicine Show have never been very active on social media. I agree they should address it, but they may just not care to. I queried their management for comment and clarification, and they still have yet to respond.
January 2, 2019 @ 9:32 am
I was road tripping over the holidays (not to Nashville, sadly) and made my boyfriend pull the car over as we read Chance’s post on Instagram. While he has been very transparent about starting his own solo career this past year, I was still in shock to learn that the Opry shows were the last. My heart is still aching and I can only hope that it truly is just a hiatus.
If not, I can tell you that each show I’ve ever been to was unique, beautiful, and inspiring. I will remember every performance. Fare Thee Well, OCMS. Its been an awesome ride. Xoxo
January 2, 2019 @ 9:58 am
The Kesha Crossroads did em in.
January 2, 2019 @ 3:14 pm
The grand old opry needs a new and fresh face that can still do all the old stuff every week. Hope they sign OCMS up for an hour slot this year and “can” that Conley dude. We love listening to the opry, and “The Show” is exactly what it needs every week.
January 2, 2019 @ 8:48 pm
Didn’t they take a hiatus once before?
January 3, 2019 @ 5:41 am
I’ve seen OCMS probably 10 times or so. They are always super energetic and bring it 110% live. Their latest album was a little disappointing, imo, but it does seem like they’ve been touring constantly for 2 years now. Hopefully it is just a little time to cool off an rest and they’ll be back at it in a another year or so.
January 3, 2019 @ 7:26 am
I have seen a show posted for 2019 in England and also in Kansas City in August. Maybe these will be cancelled. I don’t know. Ocms has great energy. Hope it’s just a little down time
January 3, 2019 @ 8:49 am
Sounds like he’s leaving the band to do his own thing, and the band is taking a vacation. The “I have no idea” part sounds to me like he’s saying he doesn’t know if he will be coming back to the band, not that the band won’t get back together.
Time will tell, I suppose.
January 3, 2019 @ 8:12 pm
I’ve heard a few of the tracks on the chance solo record, both really rough versions and final cuts, and I’ll tell you all that it is a record worth getting excited about.
January 22, 2019 @ 12:34 pm
I have truly become enamored with this group. I began listening to them about 6yrs ago and have become very fond of there music. They don’t play that type of music in the Bay and i flew out to Nashville to hear them play New Years Eve weekend with my wife. It was a great time and The Ryman was a great venue with a perfect southern setting. I expressed to my wife we had to return to watch another show. I waited around for a couple hours and as we were about to leave Ketch walked out and took a pic with us. A little sad it could be over but hopeful to see them play again!!!
January 26, 2019 @ 7:51 am
I have seen OCMS at least 20 times from Peoria Ill …. to Richmond Va …… to Memphis …… and Cincinnati …… to Jim Thorpe Pa … to name a few. I am sad to read of a possible break up, although they have survived past ” extended break ups ” …….. I say to these guys, Enjoy your time off ……. spend some time with your families …….. spend some of that money …….. write some more tunes ……… hopefully the joy from the early days of drawing crowds to watch your street corner shows will return ……..
February 15, 2019 @ 11:05 pm
We got to see Ketch this evening at The Bluebird Cafe where he played with Don Schlitz and Jelly Roll Johnson. Talent that great will not be silenced. He and other dedicated performers will emerge from a well deserved break energized and ready for the next phase of their journey.
March 4, 2019 @ 12:28 pm
Not sure anyone will see this but they just announced a Ryman show for June. Not much of a hiatus?
April 3, 2020 @ 9:04 am
Still miss Willie Watson. His vocals were key to their early sound. Saw them way back at the Donna the Buddalo Grassroots Fesitval in Trumansburg when they were unknowns. They knocked it out of the park at the shows that year, and seemed destined for success.