Some records age into classics. Others disappear for decades, slowly turning into legend.
Released in 1977, Boone Creek was one of those records—a boundary-pushing bluegrass deep cut that pulled together four young players who would soon become giants of American roots music: Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Wes Golding, and Terry Baucom.
Bluegrass harmonies? Absolutely.
Dobro and banjo fireworks? Plenty.
But Boone Creek also leaned into electric guitars, drums, horns, soft-rock textures, and jam-band looseness in ways that felt downright radical at the time.
Long out of print and nearly impossible to find, Boone Creek finally returns June 26 via Craft Recordings and HighTone Records. The expanded reissue marks the album’s first vinyl pressing in nearly five decades, alongside its debut on CD and streaming platforms, including hi-res audio.
Even better: four long-lost bonus tracks have been rescued from damaged session tapes, revealing an even stranger, bolder side of the band.
“It’s been over 50 years since Boone Creek made these recordings and it’s great to hear them remastered,” says Skaggs. “They sound better than ever, and I never thought the previously unreleased cuts would see the light of day.”
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BLUEGRASS PUSHING OUTWARD
In 1976, Skaggs and Douglas had recently stepped away from J.D. Crowe & The New South when they joined forces with songwriter Wes Golding and banjo player Terry Baucom to form Boone Creek.
The group approached bluegrass with a wider lens. Alongside intricate picking and close harmonies, they incorporated electric guitar, drums, piano, horns, and synthesizers into the arrangements—drawing from country-rock, soft rock, and the freer atmosphere of the decade’s jam-oriented scene.
At the time, some of those choices proved divisive. Portions of the original sessions were reportedly considered “too commercial,” leading the band to record additional material in a more traditional style before the final album was assembled.
Today, those same risks feel like part of what gives Boone Creek its lasting appeal.
THE LOST TAPES
Following the album’s release, several unreleased session tapes disappeared.
“When it came time to collect the tapes,” Jerry Douglas later recalled, “it was found that the engineer had absconded with them.”
For decades, the recordings were presumed lost. Then, nearly 50 years later, the tapes resurfaced—damaged, mold-covered, and barely playable. Through extensive restoration efforts, four previously unheard recordings were ultimately recovered for this new edition.
“The recovery of the four new tracks was a years-long research and restoration project,” explains reissue producer, Scott Billington. “The end result was worth it, because we get a glimpse into the creative minds of these four outstanding musicians that will surprise and delight many listeners. It’s one of the best ‘what if?’ musical stories of the year.”
Those tracks offer a deeper look into Boone Creek’s more exploratory side, expanding the scope of an album that already stretched beyond traditional bluegrass expectations.
“We hope you again enjoy Boone Creek’s freshman effort along with a glimpse back into the ’70s, where the personalities and young dreams of a band gone on safari were never to be completed,” Douglas says. ““This effort formed who we are individually today, unfortunately losing Terry in December of 2023. We thank everyone involved for their tenacity and forward thinking in bringing this remastered lost treasure back into the light.”
LISTENING NOTES
- “I’m Gonna Settle Down” — Boone Creek’s take on the Flatt & Scruggs classic showcases the group’s fiery chemistry and virtuosic musicianship, channeling the song’s wistful mood into a lonesome meditation on return and redemption.
- “Hitchhiking to California” — One of the newly recovered recordings, the song leans into a freewheeling atmosphere that expands the album’s already eclectic scope.
- “White House Blues” — A whirlwind rendition of the traditional standard, the track captures the band’s balance of technical precision and raw momentum.
- “Boone Creek” — The album’s bittersweet title track highlights the group’s instinct for stretching tradition without abandoning it altogether.
- “Dream Song” — Another bonus track: Horn arrangements and subtly psychedelic textures push the sessions into even more experimental territory, revealing a side of Boone Creek that feels strikingly modern decades later.
A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT CAME NEXT
Boone Creek’s run was brief, but the paths that followed would leave a lasting mark on bluegrass and roots music.
Ricky Skaggs was just 23 years old when Boone Creek formed, but he was already being recognized as one of bluegrass music’s defining young talents. After the band dissolved, he joined Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band before launching a landmark solo career that helped lead multiple waves of roots revival, eventually earning 15 GRAMMY Awards.
Jerry Douglas would go on to become one of the most influential Dobro players of his generation, expanding the instrument’s role far beyond traditional bluegrass settings. Across his career, Douglas has earned 16 GRAMMY Awards and widespread acclaim through both his solo work and his longtime role in Alison Krauss & Union Station.
Terry Baucom became a foundational figure in modern bluegrass through his work with groups including Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out. Before his passing in 2023, Baucom was honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award at that year’s IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.
Wes Golding continued carving out his own path through bluegrass and roots music in the years that followed, later performing with groups including Shenandoah Cut-Ups and co-founding Wes Golding & Sure Fire.
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