Dean Dillon Bio

Dean Dillon came to Nashville in the spring of 1973...forty dollars and a pocketful of songs. He was determined to introduce himself to the world of music, as Nashville knew it. After several trips back and forth from his hometown of Lake City, he finally landed the role of Hank Williams in the opryland production of country music USA in 1975. It was there, in between shows, that he honed his songwriting skills and it was there that he was "discovered" by Tom Collins, a well known publisher.

Hired to write songs for 50 dollars a week, he had his first three songs recorded three weeks later by Barbara Mandrell. It wasn't until 1979 though that he had his first number one record, a collaboration with fellow tunesmith Gary Harrison called "Lying In Love With You." Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius topped the charts with it.

That same year, Dillon met a young Texan by the name of George Strait. He recorded six of Dillon's tunes on his first album, taking "Unwound" top ten in early 1980. The success of the two as writer, singer, continue to this day with Strait having recorded over 40 of Dillon's songs over the years; "Marina Del Rey," "Ocean Front Property," "The Chair," and "Easy Come, Easy Go" are just a few of the many number 1 records Strait has recorded of Dillon's. The list of other artist's who have recorded Dillon penned songs reads like a list of who's who in country music. Con Hunley, Steve Wariner, Ronnie Milsap, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Alabama, George Jones, Pam Tillis to name a few, have all had chart success with Dillon's material.

Twice Grammy nominated, CMA nominated and ACM nominated, Dillon was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 along with Bob Dylan and Shel Silverstein. He continues to crank out chart topping songs with a close knit bunch of fellow songwriters including Aaron Barker, whom he co-wrote "Easy Come, Easy Go", Leslie Satcher, Scotty Emirick and an occasional hit or two with longtime friend and fellow east Tennessean, Kenny Chesney. Dean's abilities do not stop at his songwriting. As an Atlantic Recording Artist, his album "Hot, Country, and Single" debuted his Top 20 single "Holed Up In Some Honky-Tonk".

Dillon lives quietly on his farm in middle Tennessee and spends most of his downtime with his children. One thing about him is as sure as the sun coming up every morning; he lives, eats, and breathes country music.

Click here to go to Dean Picture
Click here to go back to AaronBarker.com