| The Dillards | |
| Origin: | Salem, Missouri, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1963–present |
The Dillards are an American bluegrass and country rock band from Salem, Missouri. The band is best known for introducing bluegrass music into the popular mainstream with their appearance as "The Darlings" on The Andy Griffith Show.[1]
The Dillards originally consisted of:
In 1968, Doug Dillard left to form Dillard and Clark. He continued to play occasionally with his brother until a few years before his death, in 2012.
The 2015 lineup included:
Other members of the band have included:
Though The Dillards were already an established bluegrass band,[2] their biggest claim to fame is performing musically as members of the fictional Darling family on The Andy Griffith Show, introducing bluegrass to many Americans who had never heard it. This was a recurring role and the Dillards were led by veteran character actor Denver Pyle as their father and jug player, Briscoe Darling. Maggie Peterson played Charlene Darling, their sister and the focus for the attentions of character Ernest T. Bass, played by Howard Morris. As the Darling brothers, the band members spoke no dialogue and presented themselves as unemotional and disengaged unless they were performing a song. The appearances of the Dillards as the Darlings ran between 1963 and 1966. In 1986, the Dillards reprised the role in the reunion show Return to Mayberry. As part of their 2012 tour, Rodney Dillard answered questions about the TV series. He said the songs such as "Dooley" are about people the family knew.
On the October 1963 episode "Briscoe Declares for Aunt Bee", the Dillards performed the first wide scale airing of the 1955 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith composition Feudin' Banjos (Dueling Banjos).
According to Jim Clark of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club, three albums have been produced with songs performed on the show. Clark says "Songs That Make Me Cry" is the only one currently available with real performances and has the three songs which included Maggie Peterson as Charlene. "Back Porch Bluegrass" and "Live Almost" include five songs that were sung on the show, and Rodney Dillard released another album with the real performances of other songs.[3]
The Dillards are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments in the mid-1960s.[4] They are considered to be pioneers of country rock and progressive bluegrass. They are known to have directly or indirectly influenced artists such as the Eagles, the Byrds, and Elton John.[5] In 1972, The Dillards joined Elton John on his first American tour.[6] John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin has also acknowledged their influence, particularly in his decision to play the mandolin.[7]
Rodney Dillard is a founding member of The Dillards – the group he formed with his brother, Douglas Dillard in the late 1950s. Credited throughout the years as the driving force behind the group's musical direction, success, and phenomenal longevity as a working act. Today, Dillard's musical duties include lead and harmony vocals, guitar, and dobro.
Beverly Cotten-Dillard is a native of Morrisville, North Carolina who performed with Janette Carter, Ola Belle Reed, Tommy Jarrell, and Doc and Merle Watson. She has appeared on Hee Haw and the Disney Channel and at Carnegie Hall. Cotten-Dillard is recognized as an authority on the traditional "clawhammer" banjo technique and is a featured member of The Dillards live shows. Her 1981 album Clog-In 'is considered an American folk classic."
George Giddens is a classically trained musician who is an awarded fiddler and mandolin player for the band.
Gary J. Smith was added to the lineup, having recorded double bass in the 2015 studio sessions for the new Dillards album. Smith is well known in Nashville circles after stints with Tom T. Hall, The Brother Boys, and Ed Snodderly.
Former member, Dean Webb, died at the age of 81, on June 30, 2018.[8]
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Top 200 | CAN | ||||
| 1963 | Back Porch Bluegrass | — | — | Elektra | |
| 1964 | Live!!!! Almost!!! | — | — | ||
| 1965 | Pickin' and Fiddlin' (with Byron Berline) | — | — | ||
| 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 | |
| 1978 | Mountain Rock | — | — | Crystal Clear | |
| 1979 | Decade Waltz | — | — | Flying Fish | |
| 1980 | Homecoming and Family Reunion | — | — | ||
| 1991 | Let It Fly (The Dillards album) | 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 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | Old Road New Again | — | — | Pinecastle Records | |
| Year | Album | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Country Tracks | 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 |