Old Crow Medicine Show is a Grammy Award–winning American roots band known for revitalizing traditional folk, old-time, country, and bluegrass music for modern audiences. Formed in 1998 and led by singer, fiddler, and songwriter Ketch Secor, the band has spent more than a quarter century building a bridge between America’s musical past and its living, evolving present.
Rooted in pre-war string band traditions while embracing contemporary songwriting, Old Crow Medicine Show emerged from the busking circuit with a sound defined by driving rhythms, communal harmonies, and an unshakable sense of joy. Their breakthrough came with the release of “Wagon Wheel,” which combined a long-lost Bob Dylan chorus with original verses by Secor and went on to become one of the best-selling country singles of all time, cementing the band’s place in American music history.
Across a prolific catalog of studio albums, live recordings, and collaborative projects, Old Crow Medicine Show has continuously expanded the vocabulary of roots music without diluting its core spirit. Their work draws equally from Appalachian ballads, jug band swing, early country, and folk revival storytelling, resulting in songs that feel both timeless and immediate. Albums like O.C.M.S., Carry Me Back, and Paint This Town showcase the band’s ability to balance tradition with reinvention.
In 2013, Old Crow Medicine Show was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, affirming their role as torchbearers of American roots music. Their Grammy win for Best Folk Album (Remedy, 2014) further underscored their cultural impact, while their relentless touring has made them one of the most celebrated live acts in the genre.
Beyond preservation, Old Crow Medicine Show are creators—using the language of folk music to tell new stories, confront contemporary realities, and celebrate shared humanity. Whether on festival stages, in intimate theaters, or through ambitious projects like their holiday album OCMS XMAS, the band continues to reaffirm that folk music is not a relic, but a living force fueled by connection, joy, and collective experience.
