The Cox Family is an
North AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
BluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has roots in Irish, West African, Scottish, Welsh and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland , and African-Americans, particularly...
family group from
Cotton Valley, LouisianaCotton Valley is a town in central Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,189 at the 2000 census.-History:J.B. Roby, a Democrat, was the first mayor of Cotton Valley. Initially appointed, he was elected to the position on April 11, 1944,On New Year's Eve 1947, a massive...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
- Evelyn Cox (born June 20, 1959) - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
, vocals
- Lynn Cox - (born October 11, 1960) - (Bass) vocals
- Sidney Cox - (born July 21, 1965) - banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments.The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza...
, dobroDobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
, vocals
- Suzanne Cox - (born June 5, 1967) - mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family...
, vocals
- Willard Cox - (born June 9, 1937) - fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, vocals
- Greg Underwood - (Bass), vocals
The Cox Family first began performing regularly together at fairs and festivals in 1976, though an earlier performance can be heard in the 1974 version of Broken Engagement which appears on
Beyond the City (1995).
Their profile was raised considerably when they met
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
in the early 90s, who subsequently produced and appeared on a number of their albums.
In July 2000, shortly after recording two songs for the
Coen BrothersJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies to hardboiled thrillers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together...
film
O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning...
, the family were dealt a blow when Willard Cox and his wife Marie were seriously injured in a traffic accident near their home in Cotton Valley.
The singing Cox Family from Cotton Valley, LA, comprises father Willard, son Sidney, and daughters Evelyn and Suzanne, who derive their sound from combining country, bluegrass, and gospel styles.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'The Cox Family' Start a new discussion about 'The Cox Family' Answer questions from other users |
The Cox Family is an
North AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
BluegrassBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and is a sub-genre of country music. It has roots in Irish, West African, Scottish, Welsh and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland , and African-Americans, particularly...
family group from
Cotton Valley, LouisianaCotton Valley is a town in central Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,189 at the 2000 census.-History:J.B. Roby, a Democrat, was the first mayor of Cotton Valley. Initially appointed, he was elected to the position on April 11, 1944,On New Year's Eve 1947, a massive...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Members
- Evelyn Cox (born June 20, 1959) - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
, vocals
- Lynn Cox - (born October 11, 1960) - (Bass) vocals
- Sidney Cox - (born July 21, 1965) - banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments.The name banjo is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza...
, dobroDobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
, vocals
- Suzanne Cox - (born June 5, 1967) - mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It is descended from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family...
, vocals
- Willard Cox - (born June 9, 1937) - fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, vocals
- Greg Underwood - (Bass), vocals
History
The Cox Family first began performing regularly together at fairs and festivals in 1976, though an earlier performance can be heard in the 1974 version of Broken Engagement which appears on
Beyond the City (1995).
Their profile was raised considerably when they met
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
in the early 90s, who subsequently produced and appeared on a number of their albums.
In July 2000, shortly after recording two songs for the
Coen BrothersJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies to hardboiled thrillers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together...
film
O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning...
, the family were dealt a blow when Willard Cox and his wife Marie were seriously injured in a traffic accident near their home in Cotton Valley.
The singing Cox Family from Cotton Valley, LA, comprises father Willard, son Sidney, and daughters Evelyn and Suzanne, who derive their sound from combining country, bluegrass, and gospel styles. They first began performing together in 1976 and were a popular draw at fairs and festivals, but their career was given a big boost when in the early '90s they met Alison Krauss, who brought them to the attention of Rounder Records. They also gained massive exposure when in 1994 they caught the ear of Adam Duritz, frontman of the multi-platinum-selling Counting Crows, who was so impressed with the Cox Family that he invited them to open for the band during its North American tour. Krauss—who produced all but the family's very first release, Quiet Storm on Wilcox Records—recorded several of Sidney's songs, which appeared on both of her Grammy-winning albums, including the title track of I've Got That Old Feeling. The Cox Family recorded two records of their own on Rounder Records: Everybody's Reaching Out for Someone (1993) and Beyond the City (1995), which earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. They also collaborated with Krauss on an album entitled I Know Who Holds Tomorrow, which won a Grammy in 1994 for Best Country/Gospel/Bluegrass Album. The Cox Family also shared a Grammy for their participation in the various-artists project Amazing Grace: A Country Salute to Gospel. Their major-label debut, Just When We're Thinking It's Over, was released on Asylum Records in 1996.
The Cox family was joined for a short time in the early 1990s by Greg Underwood on the bass, during the absence of Lynn.
In February 2009, Marie Cox, Willard Cox's wife and mother to their children, died from cancer. Alison Krauss was among the many that attended her funeral on February 18, 2009.
Discography
- Quiet Storm (Wilcox Records)
- Everybody's Reaching Out For Someone (Rounder, 1993)
- I Know Who Holds Tomorrow (Rounder, 1994)
- Beyond the City (Rounder, 1995)
- Just When We're Thinking It's Over (Asylum, 1996)
External links