Dillard & Clark was a

country rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...

collaboration between ex-

Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the sole consisten ...

member

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

and bluegrass banjo player

Doug Dillard Douglas Flint Dillard (March 6, 1937 – May 16, 2012) was an American musician noted for his banjo proficiency and his pioneering participation in late-'60s country rock. Biography Early life Dillard, who grew up on a farm near Salem, Missouri ...

History

Their collaboration began in 1968, shortly after Clark departed

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

and Dillard left

the Dillards The Dillards are an American bluegrass music, bluegrass and country rock band from Salem, Missouri. They are notable for being among the first bluegrass groups to have electrified their instruments, and they are considered to be pioneers of cou ...

. They were considered part of the Southern California country-rock scene in the late 1960s, along with

Poco In software engineering, a plain old CLR object, or plain old class object (POCO) is a simple object created in the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) that is unencumbered by inheritance or attributes. This is often used in opposition to the comp ...

, the

Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, '' The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the Monkees and co-star of their The Monkees (TV series), TV series of the same name (1966–1968) ...

and the First National Band,

Rick Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...

& The Stone Canyon Band, and the latter-day Byrds. Their first album '' The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark'' was released in 1968 on A&M. Recording personnel included Clark (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica), Dillard (banjo, fiddle, guitar),

Bernie Leadon Bernard Matthew Leadon III ( ; born July 19, 1947) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Eagles, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Prior to the Eagles, he was a member of thr ...

(vocals, lead guitar, bass, banjo), David Jackson (bass), Don Beck (mandolin, resonator guitar), with guests

Chris Hillman Christopher Hillman (born December 4, 1944) is an American musician. He was the original bassist of the Byrds. With frequent collaborator Gram Parsons, Hillman was a key figure in the development of country rock, defining the genre through his w ...

(mandolin),

Byron Berline Byron Douglas Berline (July 6, 1944 – July 10, 2021) was an American fiddle player who played many American music styles, including old time, ragtime, bluegrass, Cajun, country, and rock. Life and career Berline was born in Caldwell, Kansas ...

(fiddle), and Andy Belling (harpsichord). Most of the songs were written by Clark, Dillard, and Leadon. Drummer Michael Clarke assisted with a few early live performances. The album is praised by connoisseurs for its iconic quality and innovative character, at the intersection of country rock and americana. The duo's only other album, ''

Through the Morning, Through the Night ''Through the Morning, Through the Night'' is the second and final album from the country rock duo Dillard & Clark, released in September1969. Background The musicians included country rock and folk rock pioneers Gene Clark, Doug Dillard, Berni ...

'', was released in 1969. Donna Washburn (guitar, vocals) joined the group, and Bernie Leadon departed to co-found the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

(in 1971). Further band members were Berline, Jackson, and Jon Corneal (drums). Leadon, Hillman, and

Sneaky Pete Kleinow Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow (August 20, 1934 – January 6, 2007) was an American country-rock musician and animator. He was a member of the band the Flying Burrito Brothers, and worked extensively as a session musician, playing pedal stee ...

(pedal steel guitar) made guest appearances. After his work with Dillard, Gene Clark resumed a solo career. Dillard kept performing as Doug Dillard & The Expedition for a short time, but soon pursued his own solo career. Byron Berline went on to form the Country Gazette with guitarist/bassist Roger Bush.

Discography

Albums

Singles

* 1968: "Train Leaves Here This Mornin'" / "Out on the Side" (A&M) * 1969: "Why Not Your Baby" / "The Radio Song" (A&M) * 1969: "Don't Be Cruel" / "Lyin' Down the Middle" (A&M) * 1970: "Don't Let Me Down" / "Rocky Top" (A&M) * 2012: "Why Not Your Baby" / "Lyin' Down the Middle" (A&M / Sundazed)

Compilations

* 1970: ''Grass Roots'' (A&M) (compilation of songs by the Flying Burrito Brothers and Dillard & Clark) * 1973: ''Kansas City Southern'' (A&M) (Netherlands release) * 1975: ''G & D'' (A&M) (Netherlands release) * 1989: ''The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark & Through the Morning Through the Night'' (A&M) (compilation of both albums)

References

External links

* * American country rock groups Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1969 A&M Records artists American rock music duos American male musical duos {{US-country-band-stub