Throughout their career, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has had several different lead singers. Original member Bruce Kunkel was the lead singer on the band's early albums, including their self-titled debut album (1967) and Ricochet (1968). Jimmy Ibbotson took over as lead singer for the band's third album, Rare Junk (1969), and remained with the band until 1975. John McEuen then became the lead singer, and he has remained with the band ever since.
In addition to the lead singers mentioned above, other members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band who have contributed lead vocals include Les Thompson, Chris Darrow, Jimmy Fadden, and Jeff Hanna.