Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Song composer(s)

Traditional

Grateful Dead Recordings

Not recorded by the Dead

Dead Related Recordings

No Dead related recordings entered

Other Recordings

Monroe Brothers (1936)
Roy Acuff (1953)
Spirituals, Volume 1 : Swan's Silvertone Singers (1957)
Sacred Songs, Volume 2 : Brown's Ferry Four (1958)
Pickin' & Blowin' : George Pegram & Red Parham (195?)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken : Staple Singers (1960)
Glory Bound Train : Rose Maddox (1960)
Stewart Family Sings Country Sacred Songs : Stewart Family (1960)
The Country Gentlemen Sing and Play Folk Songs And Bluegrass : The Country Gentlemen (1961)
Best Of The Staple Singers : Staple Singers (1962)
Hymns Of The Cross : Stanley Brothers (1964)
Freedom Highway : The Staple Singers (1965)
Presenting The Blue Sky Boys : The Blue Sky Boys (1965)
Moore Brothers & the Pike County Hikers (1965)
What God Has Done : Marty Robbins (1965)
Gospel and Sacred Songs : Charlie Moore & Bill Napier (1967)
Teton Tea Party with Charlie Brown : Charlie Brown (1967)
Ronnie Hawkins : Ronnie Hawkins (1968)
Memorial Album : Frank Proffitt (1968)
Pray On : The Staple Singers (1968)
David's Album : Joan Baez (1969)
John Fahey, Guitar, Vol. 4 : John Fahey (196?)
Sunday Down South : Johnny Cash (1970)
The First Ten Years : Joan Baez (1970)
The Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott : Ramblin' Jack Elliott (1970)
Reflection : Pentangle (1971)
My Little Home In West Virginia : Curly Ray Cline (1972)
Strange Creek Singers : Starnge Creek Singers (1972)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken : Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1972)
Laid Back : Greg Allman (1973)
Song For Mom & Dad : Carl & Don, The Skyline Pals (1973)
John Lee Hooker In Person : John Lee Hooker (1974)
Feast Here Tonight : Monroe Brothers (1975)
Live At The Cellar Door : Seldom Scene (1975)
Something Different : Cascade Country (1976)
Old Timey Concert : Doc Watson (1977)
16 Greatest Hits : Brown's Ferry Four (1977)
Mandolin Instruction - Old Time, Country and Fiddle Tunes : Michael Holmes (1977)
Original Carter Family In Texas - Vol. 1 : The Carter Family (1978)
Mountain Fiddler : Robert Byrd (1978)
Willie And Family Live : Willie Nelson (1978)
The Legendary Staple Singers : Staple Singers (1978)
The Joan Baez Country Music Album : Joan Baez (1979)
My Very Special Guests : George Jones (1979)
Traditional Country Music : Betsy Rutherford (197?)
This Is Hip : John Lee Hooker (1980)
Jimmy Martin & his Sunny Mountain Boys (1981)
Precious Friend : Arlo Guthrie (1982)
The Sun Years : Jerry Lee Lewis (1982)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Vol 2 : Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1989)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken : The Jordanaires (1992)
Another Country : The Chieftans (1992)
Original Folkway Recordings : Doc Watson (1994)
Doc Watson & Clarence Ashley 1960 Through 1962 : Doc Watson & Clarence Ashely (1994)
Best of Bluegrass : Arizona Smoke Revue (1996)
Get Acquainted Waltz : The Strange Creek Singers (1997)
15 Gospel Favorites : Raymond Fairchild (199?)
The Legendary Monroe Brothers Collection : Monroe Brothers (19??)
The Smithsonian Collection Of Classic Country Music : Various Artists (Carter Family) (19??)
Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American FreedomSongs 1960-1966 : Various Artists (Jimmy Collier & The Movement Singers) (19??)
Red Allen (19??)

Performance History

Played by Garcia and Nelson at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo on November 10th 1962.

Played once only by the Dead - with the Allman Brothers on 10th May 1970.

Notes

This song was copyrighted by Charles H Gabriel (music) and Ada R Habershon (lyrics) in 1907 but is thought to be an earlier song.

Sometimes occurs as May The Circle Be Unbroken or Can The Circle Be Unbroken.