Biography
Doug Dillard emerged during the 1960s and 1970s as one of bluegrass banjo’s foremost advocates, weaving pop, folk, and country-rock selections into his performances while backing an array of like-minded musicians. He entered the world in East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1937 and took up bluegrass at an early age, later joining his younger brother Rodney. Their first recordings appeared in 1958, after which the pair worked with several ensembles before establishing the Dillards. The group shifted to Los Angeles in 1962, promptly securing a contract with Elektra and releasing a succession of innovative albums through the balance of the decade. Among the earliest bluegrass outfits to adopt amplified instruments, the Dillards also displayed broad tastes in outside material, drawing from both pop and rock alongside traditional sources. Outside the band Dillard maintained a busy schedule that included the Folkswingers side project, support for ex-Byrd Gene Clark alongside the Gosdin Brothers, and joint work with Rodney on pieces for the 1967 Bonnie & Clyde soundtrack.
He stepped away from the group he had co-founded later that year to launch new ventures. His first solo outing, The Banjo Album, arrived in 1968 and featured contributions from rock players such as Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon. A partnership with Clark soon followed, and under the Dillard & Clark name the pair produced some of the earliest country-rock recordings with a supporting band. Two pioneering albums resulted before Clark pursued a solo path in 1970; Dillard then briefly reconstituted the remaining musicians as the Doug Dillard Expedition, which supplied a track for the 1971 Vanishing Point soundtrack. He soon returned to solo work, accepting occasional session dates and signing with 20th Century. The solo albums Duelin' Banjo and You Don't Need a Reason to Sing appeared in 1973 and 1974.
In 1977 Dillard reunited with Rodney and John Hartford to form Dillard-Hartford-Dillard, which recorded a pair of albums for Flying Fish in 1977 and 1980. On the same label he released the gospel set Heaven in 1979 and the concert recording Jackrabbit in 1980. Regular appearances with the Doug Dillard Band marked the 1980s, along with sporadic studio activity; Flying Fish issued What’s That? in 1986 and Heartbreak Hotel three years later. Doug Dillard died in Nashville on May 16, 2012, at the age of 75.
He stepped away from the group he had co-founded later that year to launch new ventures. His first solo outing, The Banjo Album, arrived in 1968 and featured contributions from rock players such as Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon. A partnership with Clark soon followed, and under the Dillard & Clark name the pair produced some of the earliest country-rock recordings with a supporting band. Two pioneering albums resulted before Clark pursued a solo path in 1970; Dillard then briefly reconstituted the remaining musicians as the Doug Dillard Expedition, which supplied a track for the 1971 Vanishing Point soundtrack. He soon returned to solo work, accepting occasional session dates and signing with 20th Century. The solo albums Duelin' Banjo and You Don't Need a Reason to Sing appeared in 1973 and 1974.
In 1977 Dillard reunited with Rodney and John Hartford to form Dillard-Hartford-Dillard, which recorded a pair of albums for Flying Fish in 1977 and 1980. On the same label he released the gospel set Heaven in 1979 and the concert recording Jackrabbit in 1980. Regular appearances with the Doug Dillard Band marked the 1980s, along with sporadic studio activity; Flying Fish issued What’s That? in 1986 and Heartbreak Hotel three years later. Doug Dillard died in Nashville on May 16, 2012, at the age of 75.