Grammy-winning band’s album released after 17 years

It took 17 years for the Cox Family to get their hands on the recording of their album.

“We had all of the music tracks laid down. My dad had his leading vocals and I had my leading vocals down,” said Evelyn Cox, vocalist for Cox Family. “Our record label, Asylum Records, made some major changes and let us go. They shelved it and put it in a vault in Berkeley, California.”The Cotton Valley natives’ unfinished album was locked away for nearly two decades ago. Now the Grammy Award-winning musical family — with a little help from a country music legend — is set to release its comeback effort.

She said the release of the project transpired through a conversation between John Esposito, president of Warner Music Nashville, and Kyle Lehning, who was the president of Asylum Records during the time of the label’s changes. During a joint vacation in Nantucket last year, a conversation about music led to the remembering of the Cox Family’s unfinished work.

Esposito asked Lehning to send him the project and reached out to Cox Family about completing it.

The Cox Family members — Willard, Sidney, Evelyn and Suzanne — agreed and will release the 12-track album “Gone Like the Cotton” later this year with a couple of new songs added. Their producer and personal friend, Alison Krauss, returned to work on the project and came up with the album title, which is also the title of the first single.

“They have character, they’re mellow and they sound different. You can tell they’re old,” Cox said. “(Krauss) had a 1946 Martin guitar sitting in her living room at home sitting on a stand. One day coming from the studio she told Sidney, ‘Grab that guitar and bring it over, I think we’re going to use that.’”

The Cox Family began filming the video for the single Tuesday in Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium, the home of KWKH’s Louisiana Hayride radio show and live concert series. Cox said there was no doubt where they would film.

“It all centers around the past and it coincides with the Louisiana Hayride, where we were able to perform,” she said. “And my father has special memories from when he saw Elvis Presley perform here.”

They also filmed parts of the video in other locations where the family grew up and had special ties, such as Minden First Baptist Church and several places in their hometown of Cotton Valley. They family still resides there to this day.

Cox said it was difficult to jump back into recording the album after so many years.

“Seventeen years ago we were a little bit younger, and you wonder if your voice has changed,” she said. “We were lucky daddy had already finished all of his lead vocals.”

Due to recent health issues, their father Willard will not be able to fully contribute, but was present at the video shoot.

But stepping back into the recording booth was like they’d stepped back in time, Cox said.

The band’s style in the past has reflected the country and bluegrass genres, but the new project will be a mixture of traditional country, classic rock and pop, blues and more, Cox said.

“There’s going to be a little something on there for everybody,” she said.

“Gone Like the Cotton” will be available for purchase in September. The official album release party will be in October in Raleigh, North Carolina, in conjunction with the International Bluegrass Music Award Show. On Aug. 8, they will perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

And there is already talk of recording another album.

The Cox Family musical accomplishments include winning a Grammy Awards for Best Country/Gospel/Bluegrass Album for the collaborative album with Krauss, “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” and “Amazing Grace: A Country Salute to Gospel.” Cox Family was nominated for a Grammy nomination in the Best Bluegrass Album category for “Beyond the City.”

They also appeared in and were featured on the soundtrack of “O, Brother, Where Art Thou,” starring George Clooney.

It’s been a dramatic turn for the group, who’d been pretty much been on hiatus for several years, only returning to the stage for special performances. It wasn’t until the fated day when two music industry leaders pulled the album from the vault that the new chapter in their careers became possible.

“It opened the door again,” Cox said. “We really don’t know what’s going to happen next.”