The Dillards | |
|---|---|
 The band in 1977 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Salem, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Members |
|
| Website | www |
The Dillards are an Americanbluegrass andcountry rock band fromSalem, Missouri.[1] They are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments,[2] and they are considered to be pioneers ofcountry rock and progressive bluegrass.[1] In 2022, the band was inducted into theBill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame.[3]
The band was originally brothersDoug Dillard andRodney Dillard, plusMitch Jayne andDean Webb. They had had some successful singles in Missouri and moved to Los Angeles in 1962.[4] Within weeks of their arrival, they were signed by bothElektra Records and theWilliam Morris Agency, who soon had them booked onThe Andy Griffith Show, playing a family of mountain musicians called "The Darlings".[4] This was a recurring role, running from 1963 to 1966. In 1986, the Dillards reprised the role in the reunion showReturn to Mayberry.[5] On the October 1963 episode "Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee", the Dillards performed the first wide-scale airing of the 1955Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith compositionFeudin' Banjos (Dueling Banjos). Several albums have since featured songs performed on the show.[6]
The Dillards released four albums in quick succession but, in 1967, Doug wrote and performed the banjo music for the soundtrack of the movieBonnie and Clyde. That led to an invitation to tour withThe Byrds, and he left the band; later, he would release solo albums and form the bandDillard and Clark.[7]
In 1968, with Doug Dillard replaced byHerb Pedersen, The Dillards released the album "Wheatstraw Suite", which Elektra founderJac Holzman called "one of the most innovative bluegrass albums of all time". The album "broke all the rules of bluegrass music", said Rodney Dillard. "We put strings on it, we went electric, we used drums, and we put layered vocals on it." There was backlash from the bluegrass community but the album inspired artists such asSteve Martin,Don Henley andLed Zeppelin'sJohn Paul Jones, who attributed his decision to play the mandolin to their influence.[8][9][10]
In 1970, the band releasedCopperfields, a more progressive album with more orchestra and more drums. It was a further step away from traditional bluegrass but continued to progress the genre and keep it in the public eye.[11] One artist who was profoundly influenced by both albums wasElton John, who said that, on his first trip to America, his first act was to see a Dillards concert. In 1973, The Dillards joined John on hisGoodbye Yellow Brick Road tour.[5] During the tour, The Dillards releasedRoots and Branches, which became their most commercially successful album.[12]
In 1989,Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founderJohn McEuen, a long-time Dillards fan, wanted to capture the spirit and energy of The Dillards on film; the result was the 80-minute videoA Night In The Ozarks.[13]
In 2002, The Dillards performed with Arlo Guthrie andPete Seeger atCarnegie Hall.[14] In 2008, Guthrie and The Dillards released32 Cents, Postage Due, an album ofWoody Guthrie songs.[15]
Over the years, the band has seen many personnel changes. Rodney and his wife, Beverly Cotton-Dillard, are the only remaining full-time members. Beverly is a native ofMorrisville, North Carolina who performed withJanette Carter,Ola Belle Reed,Tommy Jarrell, andDoc andMerle Watson. Cotton-Dillard is recognized as an authority on the traditionalClawhammer banjo technique and her 1981 albumClog-In: An American Folk Dance Classic is considered an American folk classic.[5][16]
The Dillards continue to release new music. For their most recent album, 2020'sOld Road New Again, they called upon Herb Pedersen,Ricky Skaggs,Sam Bush,Bernie Leadon and Don Henley.
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [25] | CAN | |||
| 1963 | Back Porch Bluegrass | — | — | Elektra |
| 1964 | Live!!!! Almost!!! | — | — | |
| 1965 | Pickin' and Fiddlin' (with Byron Berline) | — | — | |
| Western Jamboree | — | — | ||
| 1968 | Wheatstraw Suite | — | — | |
| 1970 | Copperfields | — | — | |
| 1972 | Roots and Branches | 79 | 56 | Anthem |
| 1973 | Tribute to the American Duck | — | — | Poppy |
| 1977 | The Dillards vs. The Incredible L.A. Time Machine | — | — | Flying Fish |
| Glitter Grass from the Nashwood Hollyville Strings, withJohn Hartford | — | — | Flying Fish | |
| 1978 | Mountain Rock | — | — | Crystal Clear |
| 1979 | Decade Waltz | — | — | Flying Fish |
| 1980 | Homecoming and Family Reunion | — | — | |
| 1984 | Silver Dollar Jubilee | — | — | Silver Dollar City[26] |
| 1989 | A Night In The Ozarks (video) | — | — | John McEuen |
| 1991 | Let It Fly | — | — | Vanguard |
| 1992 | Take Me Along for the Ride | — | — | |
| 1999 | A Long Time Ago: The First Time Live | — | — | Varèse Sarabande |
| 2006 | Early Recordings – 1959 | — | — | |
| 2008 | 32¢ Postage Due (withArlo Guthrie) | — | — | Rising Son |
| 2020 | Old Road New Again | — | — | Pinecastle Records |
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Country Tracks/The Best of the Dillards | Elektra |
| 1986 | I'll Fly Away | Edsel |
| 1991 | There Is a Time (1963–70) | Vanguard |
| 1995 | The Best of The Darlin' Boys | |
| 1996 | Roots and Branches/Tribute to the American Duck | Beat Goes On |
| 2001 | Back Porch Bluegrass & Live!!!! Almost!!! | Warner Strategic Marketing |
| 2004 | Pickin' and Fiddlin', Wheatstraw Suite & Copperfields | |
| 2005 | Let The Music Flow: The Best of the Dillards 1963–1979 | Raven |
| Year | Title | Billboard Hot 100 | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | "Dooley" | — | Back Porch Bluegrass | Elektra |
| "Hootin' Banjo" (Duelin' Banjo) | — | |||
| 1965 | "Nobody Knows" | — | singles only | Capitol |
| 1966 | "The Last Thing On My Mind" | — | ||
| 1968 | "Reason To Believe" | — | Wheatstraw Suite | Elektra |
| 1969 | "Listen To The Sound" | — | ||
| 1970 | "Rainmaker" | — | Copperfields | |
| "Close The Door Lightly" | — | |||
| "One Too Many Mornings" | — | singles only | White Whale | |
| "Comin' Home Again" | — | |||
| 1971 | "It's About Time" | No. 92 | Anthem | |
| 1972 | "One A.M." | No. 111 | Roots and Branches | |
| "America (The Lady Of The Harbor)" | — | single only | ||
| 1973 | "Hot Rod Banjo" | — | Tribute to the American Duck | Poppy |
| 1975 | "Stones Throw Away" | — | single only | United Artists |
| 1977 | "The Poet" | — | The Dillards Vs. The Incredible L.A. Time Machine | Sonet |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
