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“...a folk singer with the heart of a rock 'n' roll band.” — K. Oliver, Free Times
“One of the top 50 songwriters of the last 50 years. ” — Rich Warren of WFMT in the Chicago Tribune
“This rootsy North Carolinian may be the most buzzed-about new songwriter in folkdom. He displays John Prine's gift for stark little songs that tell big, complex stories, Guy Clark's lean melodicism, Lyle Lovett's wry mischief, and Bill Morrissey's knack for the revealing image.” — Scott Alarik, Boston Globe
“...able to say more in two words than most other people can say in a novel.”— Midwest Record
“In the 8 year history of the Rice Festival, no one has arrived, virtually unkown to the audience, and ended up owning the weekend by the time the festival was done as Jonathan Byrd did. It showed in unprecedented merchandise sales as well as the continued buzz about his music, well after the festival had past. We look forward to Jonathan performing at our 10th anniversary, far from unknown this time, but by demand.” — Jeff Gavin, Rice Festival, Fischer, Texas
“Another one of those cats that qualifies as 'one of the heaviest cats you probably never heard of, Byrd is running hard to be the folkie's folkie. The easiest way to describe him to the uninitiated for quick understanding is that he's like a dyed in the wool North Carolinian John Koerner. Sly, subversive and able to say more in two words than most other people can say in a novel, Byrd is clearly one of the tent poles of contemporary folk music. He sounds like he's straight from the back porch but he's taken a long, hard look at life and knows how to bring it into focus. This...is going to set your ears on fire, even if you aren't a folkie.” — Midwest Record
“It seemed every folk musician I had talked to since my arrival in Boston was insisting I check out Jonathan Byrd. So I dutifully arrived at Passim...Jonathan Byrd, the man, the myth, the soon-to-be legend...his spine-tingling, sometimes funny songs make the listener feel they have been invited right into the songwriter's life.” — Amber Amrick, The Backstage Beat
“It was a spectacular show. He won a bunch of new fans and a lot of hearts.” — Ihor Radysh, Music on 4, New York, NY
“Jonathan's delightful, substantive songs are rich with imagery and textures of influences from Appalachian, country, early American balladry and old timey folk music. A stalwart of modern folk music, Jonathan is constantly evolving in new musical directions and each incarnation has proven to be masterful.” — Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, Dallas, Tx
“Jonathan Byrd doesn't sing songs; he sings truth.” — Mare Wakefield, Performing Songwriter
“Jonathan...thrives on a connection with his audiences and fans, indeed it seems to me to be an integral part of his life force. If what you are seeking in music and performers is sincerity and authenticity , then you will not want to miss any chance you get to see Jonathan Byrd live, ... with his combination of technical skill on guitar , his vocals , and a knack for songs that can touch the very core of your being” — Robert Anderson
“The show was GREAT! Everybody loved Jonathan.” — Sandra Odom, Fairfield Studios, Shreveport, LA
“Jonathan touches your soul. His good heart, and common sense outlook to life, clearly comes through in his songs. He'll have you both laughing and tearing up within the space of a few minutes. ” — Jeanne Murrin Wilkinson, No Depression
Jonathan Byrd is a North Carolina flatpicker and a Texas songwriter, a Gulf War veteran and a preacher's son, and an award-winning songwriter whose songs you've probably heard, even if you haven't heard Byrd sing them. Covered by Tim O'Brien, Steve James, Red Molly, Jack Lawrence, Melissa Greener and more, Byrd's music will seem familiar to any Americana fan.
A seventh generation North Carolinian, Byrd graduated high school and spent four years in the Navy, landing Marines in Liberia, carrying supplies to Kurdish refugees, and recording songs on a four-track in his downtime. Jonathan returned to the gritty indie music scene of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and fronted several rock bands before he rediscovered Old-Time and Bluegrass music at weekend festivals.
Byrd quit the bands and hit the road solo in 2000, flatpicking and singing new songs in an old style. A tip from a friend led him down to the Kerrville Folk Festival, a dusty ranch where he discovered the rich Texas songwriting culture and made it his own.
The word began to spread in 2003, when Jonathan won the festival's 'New Folk' songwriting competition, a milestone for Americana's most influential artists: Steve Earle. Lucinda Williams. Nanci Griffith. Lyle Lovett. Byrd broke the record for CD sales at the festival, and has played there nearly every year since.
Byrd's 2008 release, The Law and the Lonesome is the fruit of this interstate cross-pollination, what might have happened if Townes Van Zandt had made a record with Doc Watson. Tamara Kater of Canada's folk mag Penguin Eggs called The Law and the Lonesome her "album of the decade."
Cackalack is the newest Jonathan Byrd release, an homage to his home state. Recorded live in a day while on the road, Cackalack hit #1 on Roots Music Reports folk radio chart, #22 on the Americana chart, was the #91 Americana album of 2011, and made John Platt's "Best of 2011," along with strong international airplay and a dozen other "best of" lists.
Most recently, Jonathan won a 2011 SESAC Americana Music Award beside Bob Dylan, Seth Avett, Hayes Carll, Jim Lauderdale, and Colin Brooks from The Band of Heathens.
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Jonathan Byrd performs solo, with a band, or in a duo with Chris Kokesh as The Barn Birds. If you are interested in booking Jonathan Byrd or The Barn Birds for a concert, festival or private event, please contact:
John Laird, The Americana Agency
919-489-4824
