Steve Martin's Smokin' Bluegrass

Steve Martin knows how to light up the bluegrass.

The legendary comic and actor has been making tunes since his late 70s hit "King Tut," but it's a creative outlet he doesn't always have time to enjoy what with making films and all. Well, last May, the Emmy- and Grammy-winning star released his first all-music album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, and he just announced plans to tour the album.

Martin already did some warm-up charity shows in Los Angeles and New York and made appearances on American Idol, Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. With the banjo tuned and ready to go, the wild and crazy guy kicks off the bluegrass tour, appropriately enough, in Nashville on Sept. 9. This rare tour by the comedic genius will hit several southern cities in addition to NYC's Carnegie Hall and D.C.'s Kennedy Center. No California dates as of yet, but he is throwing Canada a bone with a Toronto show on Oct. 15.

The brilliant dirty rotten scoundrel has picked up three Grammy trophies to date for his music and comedy albums, which include 1978's Wild and Crazy Guy, 1977's Let's Get Small and his 2001 Earl Scruggs collaboration Foggy Mountain Breakdown. The Crow, a bluegrass album, features guest appearances by Mary Black, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton, among others.

Photo courtesy of David Shankbone via Wikipedia.