Before the Eagles there was this band, coming to the RiverCenter

Decades before Americana was a musical genre, there was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a group often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement in country rock and American roots music..

The band is appearing in concert at RiverCenter at 7:30 Friday.

“The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was founded in 1966 and has been together for longer than virtually any other group of their era,” said RiverCenter Executive Director Norman Easterbrook. “They are recognized as a transformational group in the evolution of folk rock into country rock, influencing bands such as the Eagles and Alabama.”

With multiplatinum and gold records, strings of top 10 hits such as “Fishin’ In the Dark” and “Mr. Bojangles,” multiple Grammy, International Bluegrass Music, Country Music Association awards and nominations, the band’s accolades continue to accumulate.

Their 1972 groundbreaking album “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” has been inducted into the U.S. Library of Congress as well as the Grammy Hall of Fame. The band’s recording of “Mr. Bojangles” was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2014, “Fishin’ In the Dark” was certified platinum for digital downloads by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Today, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden and Bob Carpenter) continue to add to their legendary status in their 53rd year of non-stop touring. Recent tour stops include Stagecoach, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and many more.

Tickets are now on sale at the RiverCenter box office, 900 Broadway. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Tickets are also available by phone at (706) 256-3612 and online at rivercenter.org.