Biography
Old-time string bands active during the 1920s and 1930s frequently carried absurd monikers, many coined by glib radio announcers or hustling promoters. This particular outfit may hold the record for the most unfortunate choice, derived from both the last name and stature of its leader, guitarist John Dilleshaw, whose nearly seven-foot frame made the pun irresistible to era promoters. The Dill Pickles assembled an ensemble that mixed seasoned regional fiddlers such as the one-handed Lowe Stokes with beginners like Harry Kiker; the latter’s curiosity in old-time styles arose after Dilleshaw began courting Kiker’s sister Opal, often arriving with the full band to heighten the courtship atmosphere. Dilleshaw’s propulsive, blues-inflected guitar work, combined with the bowed bass and tenor banjo supplied by father-and-son team Pink Lindsey, produced a markedly individual texture. Comedy routines regularly punctuated the performances, and, echoing Western swing leader Bob Wills, Dilleshaw—known as Dilly—would interject spoken remarks directly over the instrumental passages or group playing. Theatrical sketches performed by the members mirrored the popular approach of Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers, the same outfit that had previously featured Stokes. The group cut sides in 1929 and 1930, all later compiled on a Document CD that includes “Bad Lee Brown,” possibly an antecedent of Jim Croce’s “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” the energetic “Bibb County Breakdown,” the two-part “Fiddler’s Tryout in Georgia” blending music with stage dialogue, and the enduring “Pickin’ Off Peanuts.” Several supporting players remained active afterward: Lindsey recorded for Bluebird alongside Shorty, with Dilleshaw’s possible participation still disputed among those present. Shorty also contributed tenor banjo to sessions by fiddler John Carson. Kiker alone among the participants lived until 2000 and continued performing, largely at home, alongside a former violinist from the Atlanta Symphony.