The Dillards - wikipedia The Dillards This article is about the band. For the department store chain, see Dillard 's. The Dillards The band in 1977 Background information Origin Salem, Missouri, United States Genres Bluegrass Years active 1963 - present Website www.rodneydillard.tv Members Rodney Dillard Beverly Cotten - Dillard Gary J. Smith George Giddens Past members Doug Dillard Herb Pedersen Jeff Gilkinson Billy Ray Latham Byron Berline Glen Hardin Billy Constable Dean Webb Mitchell F. Jayne The Dillards are an American bluegrass band from Salem, Missouri, popularly known for their appearance as `` The Darlings '' on The Andy Griffith Show. Contents 1 Band members 2 The Andy Griffith Show 3 Pioneering influences 4 Current members 5 Discography 5.1 Albums 5.2 Compilations 5.3 Singles 6 References 7 External links Band members The Dillards originally consisted of Douglas Dillard ( born March 6, 1937, Salem, Missouri - May 16, 2012 ) on banjo, Rodney Dillard ( born May 18, 1942, Salem, Missouri ) playing the guitar, and dobro, Dean Webb ( born Roy Dean Webb ; March 28, 1937, Independence, Missouri -- June 30, 2018 ) on mandolin, and Mitchell Franklin `` Mitch '' Jayne ( July 5, 1928, Hammond, Indiana -- August 2, 2010 ) on double bass. In 1968, Doug Dillard left to form Dillard and Clark, although he continued to play occasionally with his brother until a few years before he died in 2012. The 2015 lineup includes Rodney Dillard and his wife Beverly Cotten - Dillard ( clawhammer banjo, vocals ), Featured Guest Tony Wray ( guitar, banjo, harmony vocals ), Jeff Gilkinson ( cello, bass, harmonica, porchboard, harmony vocals ),, Gary J. Smith ( double bass ), and George Giddens ( fiddle, mandolin, harmony vocal ). Other members of the band have included Dewey Martin ( drums ), John T Humphreys ( Drums ), Herb Pedersen ( banjo, guitar ), Billy Ray Latham ( banjo, guitar, electric guitar ), Ray Park ( fiddle ), Paul York ( drums ), Jeff Gilkinson ( bass, cello, harmonica, banjo ), Douglas Bounsall ( electric guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle ), Byron Berline ( fiddle ), Irv Dugan ( bass ), Bill Bryson ( bass ), Glen D. Hardin ( keyboards ), Seth Papas ( drums ), Buddy Blackmon ( banjo ), Rick McEwen ( bass ), Ric Williams ( drums ), Joe Villegas ( bass ), Eddie Ponder ( drums ), Pete Grant ( banjo, steel guitar ), Steve Cooley ( banjo, guitar, upright bass ), Wilburn `` Cody '' Pace ( banjo, fiddle, Richard Godfrey ( drums ), Shane Lail ( guitar ), Jim Glaspy ( banjo, guitar ) and Billy Constable ( guitar ). The Andy Griffith Show Though The Dillards were already an established bluegrass band, 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. 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 current tour, Rodney Dillard answers questions about the TV series. He says 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 ). Pioneering influences The Dillards are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments in the mid-1960s. They are considered to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning southern California folk rock, country rock and progressive bluegrass genres, and are known to have directly or indirectly influenced artists such as The Eagles, The Byrds, and Elton John. In 1972, The Dillards joined Elton John on his first American tour. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin has also acknowledged their influence, particularly in his decision to play the mandolin. Current members 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 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, Ed Snodderly, and his long - time collaborator, Jeff Gilkinson. Former member, Dean Webb, died at the age of 81, on June 30, 2018. Discography Albums 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 -- -- Vanguard Take Me Along For The Ride -- -- 1999 A Long Time Ago : The First Time Live -- -- Varèse Sarabande 2006 Early Recordings - 1959 -- -- Compilations 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 Roots and Branches / Tribute to the American Duck Beat Goes On Back Porch Bluegrass & Live ! ! ! ! Almost ! ! ! Warner Strategic Marketing Pickin ' and Fiddlin ', Wheatstraw Suite & Copperfields 2005 Let The Music Flow : The Best of the Dillards 1963 - 1979 Raven Singles 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 Stones Throw Away -- single only United Artists 1977 The Poet -- The Dillards Vs. The Incredible L.A. Time Machine Sonet References ^ Jump up to : Rifkin, Carol ( 2012 - 03 - 02 ). `` From Mayberry to Black Mountain : The Dillards play mighty fine bluegrass ''. Asheville Citizen - Times. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 02. ^ Jump up to : `` Dean Webb passes ''. Bluegrass. today. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018. Jump up ^ Doug Dillard dies at 75 ; banjo player, member of the Dillards band, retrieved 25 May 2016 Jump up ^ `` Billy Constable : Bluegrass Musician '', Blueridge National Heritage Area, retrieved 15 May 2012 Jump up ^ Liner Notes for The Dillards ' Wheatstraw Suite Jump up ^ Wolff, Kurt, and Duane, Orla `` The Dillards '', Country Music : The Rough Guide, p. 215 Jump up ^ Ferenczi, Alexis ( October 30, 2013 ). `` Entretien avec John Paul Jones, ex-Led Zeppelin, parrain du festival Mandolines de Lunel ''. Le Huffington Post ( French ). HPMG News. Retrieved 27 September 2016. External links History More info The Dillards Rodney Dillard Beverly Cotten - Dillard Shane Lail Jim Glaspy George Giddens Herb Pedersen Billy Ray Latham Byron Berline Glen Hardin Billy Constable Mitchell F. Jayne Studio albums Back Porch Bluegrass ( 1963 ) Pickin ' & Fiddlin ' ( 1965 ) Wheatstraw Suite ( 1968 ) Copperfields ( 1970 ) Roots and Branches ( 1972 ) Tribute to the American Duck ( 1973 ) Live albums Live ! ! ! ! Almost ! ! ! ( 1964 ) MusicBrainz : 50e8fa7b - e7aa - 4599 - 8fec - 0987527a87d5 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dillards&oldid=849775367 '' Categories : American bluegrass music groups Musicians from Missouri Southern rock musical groups Elektra Records artists Hidden categories : Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012 Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Norsk Edit links This page was last edited on 11 July 2018, at 07 : 54 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who played bluegrass on the andy griffith show
Answer: The Dillards