A talented banjoist, J.D. Crowe became fascinated by the instrument when Flatt And Scruggs were resident on a Lexington station. He attended their daily shows and watched Scruggs intently. In 1955, he toured with Mac Wiseman before joining Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys in 1956. In the mid-'60s, Crowe formed his Kentucky Mountain Boys, which included Red Allen and Doyle Lawson. In 1971, he adopted an electrified sound and formed his New South, which included Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas. Their self-titled 1975 album, for Rounder Records, while modestly noticed at the time has gone on to be considered by some as the most influential bluegrass record of the decade. The band would win a Grammy award for their instrumental "Fireball" in 1983. Crowe subsequently retired from touring, opting to work in the studio instead.