Douglas Dillard blazes through a rendition of Banjo in the Hollow, his fingers dancing across his Gibson Granada fingerboard at break-neck pace, yet all the while flashing his signature grin, as if none of this were really particularly difficult.
Born on March 6, 1937, his love affair with the banjo started before he learned to walk. One weekend, his parents, Homer and Lorene Dillard, drove to Nashville to watch the Grand Ole Opry, and Douglas, only a year old, was carried along. During the performance the toddler witnessed the magic of Uncle Dave Macon twirling his banjo, flinging it high into the air, catching it and then jumping back into the song, never missing a beat.
"You know how kids are when they see something that is animated. Uncle Dave would throw his banjo in the air and that really impressed me and I thought to myself, 'What in the world is that that he is playing?' And yet, at the same time, it was like I knew what he was playing, maybe from some past life," he chuckled.
Christmas morning, 1951, forever changed Douglas' life. Tucked inside a brightly wrapped box was a Kay five-string banjo complete with resonator. Douglas immediately went outside and, using a magnifying glass, burned his initials into his new prized possession. Watching his Dad play fiddle tunes such as New Five Cents and Napper, Douglas began the process of learning notes. Using a thumb and finger, Douglas mastered his first song, Green Corn, and later moved up to a three-finger version of the tune.
The boyhood years that followed saw Douglas refining his craft, playing at pie suppers and square dances in and around his home of Salem, Missouri. With no formal instruction to guide him, Douglas developed the style which has become his trademark. The traditional right-hand position for banjo pickers consists of the ring and little finger braced firmly on the head. None of Douglas' fingers rest on the head. Instead, his little finger is hooked around the treble end of the bridge, anchoring his hand there, and his ring finger is held close to the palm so that it is floating out above the bridge. This finger position provided Douglas with greater leverage in his early days before he learned to play with picks.
"I didn't know what finger picks were, and you have to play loud for square dances, and that is how I developed my strong right hand. I actually put shoe polish on the tips of my fingers to get a better grip on the strings, so that my fingers would grasp the strings and not slip." Years of constant playing without picks strengthened Douglas's right hand to the extent that, according to John Hartford, a long time friend, at one time Douglas possessed the 'strongest right hand' among all banjo pickers.
Reflecting on his career, Douglas relates his time with the Dillards as the most satisfying period of his musical life. Not surprisingly, Douglas' favorite Dillards albums are the three that he was a part of. Still, the tunes keep popping into Douglas' head, and he expects to continue to evolve musically.
Douglas Dillard Discography:
"Jackrabbit!" Flying Fish FF-208, "Heaven" FF - 086, "You Don't Need A Reason to Sing" 20th Century T - 426, "Duelin' Banjos" 20th Century T - 409, "The Banjo Album" Together - Sierra Records. With Gene Clark: "The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark" A and M SP4158, "Through the Morning and Through The Night" A and M SP4203. With The Douglas Dillard Band: "What's That" (Flying Fish Records), "Heartbreak Hotel" (Flying Fish Records), "Douglas Dillard with John Hartford and Rodney Dillard", "Glitter Grass from the Nashwood Hollyville Strings"
Continued in Banjo Newsletter Vol. XXIII-6, April 1996
Lee Grant is the author of "Everybody On The Truck! The Story of the Dillards," with the original Dillards. Eggman Publishers, Nashville TN. $12.95 and $1 shipping. Call (800) 409-7277.
Photo of the Dillards courtesy of Doug Dillard.
