The John Cowan Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Sandhills Community College, under the auspices of the Rooster's Wife.

This performance will benefit the Sandhills Community College's athletic teams, the Sandhills Flyers.

"True innovators defy easy categorization, and John Cowan is the ultimate innovator," says a spokesman. "His ability to move easily between music styles and blend and bend genres into creative new forms has made him one of the most significant voices in acoustic music over the past 30 years."

After making a name for himself as one of the most in-demand vocalists in the early 1970s' music scene in Louisville, Ky., Cowan rose to fame when he became the lead singer for New Grass Revival.

He and band mates Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, and Pat Flynn introduced a new generation of music fans to an explosive, experimental brand of bluegrass.

After inspiring and entertaining fans for nearly two decades, New Grass disbanded in 1990.

Cowan immediately gave chase to his creative muse, following it all over the musical landscape with a series of critically acclaimed albums. The Evansville, Ind., native wrapped his expansive voice around tunes that ran the gamut from rock to soul to blues and beyond.

As the 21st century began, Cowan found himself circling back to the acoustic music that he knew so well. He began to surround himself with some of the finest acoustic musicians working.

When the current line-up of his band, Jeff Autry (guitar), Shad Cobb (fiddle), and John Frazier (mandolin) came together, he knew he was onto something special.

Cowan's latest release is "New Tattoo." For more information, or to hear tracks from his new release, visit his Web site at www.myspace.com/thejohncowanband.

For ticket information, call 944-7502 or visit www.theroosterswife.org.