John Cowan joined the New Grass Revival in 1974 initially to fill the bassist slot. After it was discovered that he could also sing, he was increasingly tasked with a significant share of the lead vocal duties alongside group founder Sam Bush. Cowan remained with the band until its dissolution in 1990, at which point he embarked on a solo career and worked as a session man, most often appearing as a backing vocalist on hundreds of country and Americana genre records.