The singing
Cox Family from Cotton Valley, LA, is comprised of 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.
–
Jack Leaver, Rovi