Ozark Mountain Daredevils & Pure Prairie League

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils have been aptly described as “a ragtag collection of hippies, bohemians, and musicians of no fixed ambition.”  They have always been indefinable in terms of music genres, producing sounds of country-rock and electric bluegrass all on the same record; writing lyrics both whimsical and poetic, singing harmonies that would send shivers up your spine.

The Daredevils’ formal beginning as a band was in Springfield, Missouri in 1971, and included musicians Larry Lee, Steve Cash, Michael Supe Granda, John Dillon, Buddy Brayfield, and Randle Chowning.  In the beginning they called themselves the Family Tree, then Burlap Socks, and then the Emergency Band.  But finally, in a nod to Commander Cody who was one of their musical heroes, they settled on the catchy moniker of Cosmic Corncob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils—The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, for short.

From their beginnings in mid-Sixties Ohio as a group of friends playing cover tunes to the present-day unit featuring founding member/pedal-steel innovator John David Call, veteran bassist Mike Reilly, propulsive drummer Scott Thompson and guitar ace Donnie Clark, PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE continues to embellish the rich 43-year history of one of Country-Rock’s pioneering forces. As one reviewer recently wrote: “PPL’s sound combines sweet memories with edgy, contemporary muscle. Their vocals are as strong as Kentucky moonshine and the musicianship and performance skills are as sharp as a straight razor”.

Their eponymous first album – featuring the Norman Rockwell/Saturday Evening Post cover that introduced fans to PPL’s trademark cowpoke “Sad Luke” – has been hailed as a “major early influence in the emerging popularity of Country-Rock music”. Their second effort, the multiplatinum “Bustin’ Out” brought us the Craig Fuller-penned classic “Amie”, along with other gems of the genre. With “Two Lane Highway”, nine more albums and countless shows, a legacy has been forged and enriched during the ‘70s and 80’s, highlighting contributions from several noteworthy members, including original co-founder George Ed Powell, Cincinnati’s legendary Goshorn Brothers, Country Hall of Famers Gary Burr and Vince Gill award-winning writer Jeff Wilson (3 Top-20 singles) and a host of other guest appearances from Chet Atkins, Johnny Gimble, Emmy Lou Harris, David Sanborn, Eagle Don Felder, Nicolette Larson, and many more.