Doug Dillard

Doug Dillard was one of the pre-eminent ambassadors of bluegrass banjo during the '60s and '70s, incorporating pop, folk, and country-rock material into his repertoire and supporting a wide variety of artists with those sensibilities. Born in Salem, MO, in 1937, Dillard started playing bluegrass early on, eventually teaming with his younger brother, Rodney. The duo made their first recordings in 1958, then played with several bands before forming their own group, The Dillards. In 1962, The Dillards relocated to Los Angeles, where they quickly landed a deal with Elektra and issued a string of groundbreaking albums over the rest of the '60s. The Dillards were among the first bluegrass groups to use amplified instruments, and they also had highly eclectic taste in covers, drawing from pop and rock as well as traditional material. Dillard was active outside the group as well, working with a side project called The Folkswingers, backing ex-Byrd Gene Clark with The Gosdin Brothers, and collaborating with Rodney on material for the Bonnie & Clyde soundtrack in 1967.

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