There’s a good chance you know Dan Tyminski’s voice. You just might not know his name.
If you’ve watched George Clooney charm his way through the Depression-era South in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, you’ve heard him. If you’ve ever found yourself humming “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” the irresistible bluegrass anthem performed by the fictional Soggy Bottom Boys, you know the sound. And if you’ve heard Avicii’s global hit “Hey Brother,” you’ve heard another side of the same unmistakable voice.
On Tuesday, October 20, that voice will belong to the man standing right in front of you…if you grab some of the few remaining tickets available to this bluegrass showcase.
Dan Tyminski and his band are coming to St. Cecilia Music Center’s Royce Auditorium to open the 2026–2027 Acoustic Café Folk Series, bringing one of modern bluegrass music’s most celebrated artists to Grand Rapids for an evening that promises equal parts musical mastery, familiar favorites, and the kind of live performance that reminds you why a great voice never goes out of style.
And for anyone who has ever wondered who really sang for Clooney in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, consider this your chance to meet the man behind the music.
The Voice Behind the Hollywood Legend
Released in 2000, the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? helped introduce traditional American roots music to an entirely new generation. Its fictional Soggy Bottom Boys became an unlikely musical phenomenon, with “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” emerging as the film’s signature song.
On screen, it was Clooney’s character, Ulysses Everett McGill, who fronted the group. On the soundtrack, it was Tyminski who supplied the vocals that gave the performance its grit, soul, and unmistakable Appalachian character.
There’s a particularly satisfying twist to the story: a voice that became familiar to millions belonged to a musician who had spent years honing his craft far from Hollywood’s spotlight. Tyminski didn’t need a movie role to establish his credentials. He was already deeply rooted in the bluegrass tradition, with a musical career built on instrumental precision, rich harmonies, and a deep respect for the genre’s history.
The story behind the casting has inspired its share of Hollywood lore, including rumors that Clooney initially tried singing the song himself before the filmmakers turned to Tyminski. Whatever the behind-the-scenes version, the finished result is what matters: a performance that helped make O Brother, Where Art Thou? a cultural touchstone and brought Tyminski’s voice into homes around the world.
A Bluegrass Career That Goes Far Beyond One Song
For Tyminski, “Man of Constant Sorrow” may have been a defining moment, but it’s hardly the whole story.
A 14-time Grammy Award winner and four-time International Bluegrass Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year, Tyminski has spent more than three decades shaping the sound of contemporary bluegrass. His musical journey began early. By age six, he was accompanying his parents to fiddle contests, square dances, and bluegrass festivals throughout New England, where the experience of hearing musicians perform live left a lasting impression.
“Watching live music always spoke to me much louder than sitting in front of my record player,” he said. “I loved it. Whatever music was being played, I wanted to go watch. Years later, I still feel that way.”
That devotion has carried him from his early days with Green Mountain Bluegrass and the influential Lonesome River Band to decades of touring and recording with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Along the way, he has contributed vocals and instrumental performances to projects spanning an extraordinary range of artists, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, and Kenny Chesney.
Then came another unexpected turn. In 2013, Tyminski lent his voice to Avicii’s “Hey Brother,” a genre-crossing hit that introduced his singing to a global pop audience. The track went on to accumulate more than a billion streams, demonstrating just how naturally his voice travels between musical worlds.
It’s a rare career that can connect traditional bluegrass, an acclaimed Hollywood soundtrack, and international electronic pop without losing its identity. Tyminski has managed to do just that, all while remaining firmly grounded in the musical traditions that first inspired him.
His 2024 concert album, Dan Tyminski: Live From The Ryman, earned a Grammy nomination and captures the energy that has made his current live performances favorites among bluegrass devotees and newcomers alike. Onstage with his band, Tyminski brings the songs to life with the immediacy and musicianship that have defined his career from the beginning.
A Michigan Connection Opens the Evening
Before Tyminski takes the stage, the evening will begin with a musician who needs little introduction to West Michigan’s roots-music community.
Grand Rapids-based dobro player, songwriter, and bandleader Mark Lavengood will open the concert, bringing his own distinctive slide-guitar sensibility to Royce Auditorium. Known for a style that can shift from laid-back and lyrical to exuberant and wide open, Lavengood has built a career that stretches well beyond Michigan.
He won the RockyGrass Dobro Championship in 2012, spent years touring with Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys, and performed at Levon Helm’s celebrated Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, New York. In August 2026, he hosted and emceed Billy Strings’ inaugural Ionia Freak Fair, adding another chapter to his longstanding connection with the region’s bluegrass and Americana scenes.
Lavengood also leads Prine Time, a tribute to the songs of John Prine, and is preparing to release his new two-volume album, Wake Up.
His appearance makes the evening more than a showcase for a nationally renowned artist. It’s also an opportunity to hear a homegrown musician whose career reflects the depth and vitality of Michigan’s roots-music community.
An Acoustic Café Season Worth Hearing
For St. Cecilia Music Center, Tyminski’s performance is an appropriately ambitious way to launch the new Acoustic Café Folk Series season.
“We are so excited to kick off our Acoustic Café Series with exciting multi-Grammy-Award-winning bluegrass artist Dan Tyminski and his band,” said Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia Music Center’s executive and artistic director. “People will enjoy hearing the voice of George Clooney come to life on stage from the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? as Dan sings some of those beloved songs.”
Holbrook also welcomes Lavengood to the bill, noting the excitement of pairing Tyminski’s celebrated sound with the dobro artist and songwriter.
The 2026–2027 series promises a varied lineup that moves across folk, bluegrass, Americana, and acoustic music. Among the artists scheduled are legendary singer Judy Collins, banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, actor and musician Jeff Daniels, singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan and mandolinist Chris Thile performing Wassail! A Christmas Show, fiddlers Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, world-renowned guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, folk duo Shovels & Rope, and Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance.
Additional Acoustic Café Folk Series concerts for spring 2027 may be announced later in the season.
The Man Behind the Music, Live in Grand Rapids
Dan Tyminski and His Band, with special guest Mark Lavengood
When: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Where: Royce Auditorium, St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids
Schedule:
- 6:30 p.m. — Building doors open
- 7 p.m. — Royce Auditorium doors open
- 7:30 p.m. — Concert begins
- 9 p.m. — Post-concert reception
Tickets: $55 and $40
Tickets are available HERE through St. Cecilia Music Center or by calling 616-459-2224. For questions, contact the box office at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224, extension 201.
