Picture a bluegrass band with Mark Twain as the bass player and you would have the Dillards. Humor, good music and friendship were their hallmarks.
Mitch Jayne is a musician and author. He was charmed by the language and humor of the Ozarks and shared his love with the world. The lyrics of the song, “There is a Time,” co-written by Jayne and Rodney Dillard, offer an outline for his musical career.
Mitch Jayne’s Early Career - “There is time for us to wander. When time is young and so are we.”
Starting in 1954, he had a radio show called, “Hickory Hollow Time,” that ran five days a week, on KSMO in Salem, Missouri. Rodney Dillard, a friend, helped Jayne pick songs for the show. In 1962, he invited the Ozark Mountain Boys lead by Doug and Rodney Dillard to be on his show. They became good friends, practiced at his house and the combination of their musical talent and his story telling ability just clicked. They invited him to be part of the band. He had played the piano in his youth, and with the help of Dean Webb, taught himself bass. He became a member of The Dillards and played off and on with them for the next four decades.
The Dillards Years - “The woods are greener over yonder. The path is new the world is free.”
The band was made up of Rodney and Doug Dillard, Mitch Jayne and Dean Webb.They decided success could be found in California and began a road trip. Their car broke down and they played for a week at the Buddhi Club in Oklahoma City and earned enough money to continue. In typical Hollywood fashion, they landed at the Ash Grove Club in November of 1962, formed an immediate friendship with the Greenbriar Boys, and jammed on stage with them. Jim Dickinson, a talent scout and producer for Elektra Records, was in the audience and signed them for a record contract. What could be perceived as Hollywood magic was actually the recognition of the group’s impressive talent. Their first album, “Back Porch Bluegrass” was released in January 1963, less than three months after their arrival in California. In January 1964, their second album, “Live!!! Almost!!!” was released. Full story here.
