Horace Eldred "Danny" Dill (September 19, 1924
– October 23, 2008) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He
enjoyed one of the most remarkable second acts in country music history --
after splitting with wife and longtime Grand Ole Opry duet partner Annie Lou
Stockard, he abandoned his career as a performer in favor of composing and
crafted some of the most indelible songs in the American roots music canon,
most notably "Long Black Veil" and "Detroit City."
Born Horace Eldred Dill in Huntingdon, TN, on September
19, 1925, he launched his performing career as a teen, singing and playing
guitar on a series of radio stations in Jackson, Blytheville, Knoxville and
Memphis, TN. In 1944 Dill signed on with famed country comedian Whitey Ford --
the so-called "Duke of Paducah" was also responsible for suggesting
his new hire change his name to "Danny."
In addition to talents including Salty Holmes, Barbara
Jeffers, Jack Kenndal, and Ralph Caputo, the Ford road show included
18-year-old Annie Lou Stockard, whose sweet, innocent voice harmonized
perfectly with Dill's own crystalline vocals -- off-stage, they began dating
and soon married.
When Ford headlined Nashville station WSM's celebrated Grand Ole Opry radio showcase in 1946, Annie Lou and Danny proved such a hit that the couple remained with the program for more than a decade. For a time, the duo also headlined their own WSM program, broadcast live each weekday morning at 5:30 a.m.
When Ford headlined Nashville station WSM's celebrated Grand Ole Opry radio showcase in 1946, Annie Lou and Danny proved such a hit that the couple remained with the program for more than a decade. For a time, the duo also headlined their own WSM program, broadcast live each weekday morning at 5:30 a.m.
In addition to their work with Ford and on the Opry,
Annie Lou and Danny were featured on Hank Thompson's 1948 program Smoky
Mountain Hayride, and served as regulars on Eddy Arnold's CBS series Hometown
Reunion. The couple also toured in support of Ernest Tubb, and while Annie Lou
soon curtailed her travel commitments to raise their daughter, Danny continued
with Tubb on his own, even joining the Nashville legend for a 1953 trek across
Korea. That same year, Annie Lou and Danny reunited with Ford for a new road
show, dubbed The Duke of Paducah and the Nashville Gang.
After leaving the Opry, Dill began to channel his creative energies into composing, and in 1959 he teamed with Marijohn Wilkin to author "Long Black Veil." Intended to evoke "an instant folk song," the ballad drew inspiration from several contemporary news stories,
including the unsolved murder of a Catholic priest in New Jersey, but its grim
lyrics and funereal atmosphere indeed recalled the rustic ballads of a
long-gone America.
After leaving the Opry, Dill began to channel his creative energies into composing, and in 1959 he teamed with Marijohn Wilkin to author "Long Black Veil." Intended to evoke "an instant folk song," the ballad drew inspiration from several contemporary news stories,
Danny Dill and Mel Tillis,1963
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First recorded by honky tonk legend Lefty Frizzell,
"Long Black Veil" is now recognized among the truly classic songs of
the postwar era, recorded by artists spanning from the Band to Johnny Cash to
the Dave Matthews Band. Also in 1959 Dill penned the Jim Reeves hit
"Partners," solidifying his growing reputation as a master of the
story-song formula, and in 1962 he collaborated with Mel Tillis on Bobby Bare's
Grammy-winning smash "Detroit City," a plaintive portrait of the
alienation suffered by rural Southerners relocating north in search of work.
In all, Dill authored more than 100 songs during his
decades-plus affiliation with Music City-based Cedarwood Publishing Company,
and in 1975 he was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Dill
served as a writer/consultant for Buckhorn Music until retirement. After years
out of the spotlight, he resurfaced in 2006 with a self-released solo album,
Quality Is Always in Style. Dill died in a Nashville hospital on October 23,
2008 -- he was 84 years old. (Info mainly All Music)
4 comments:
For “Danny Dill - Folk Songs from the Wild West” (1960) go here:
http://www114.zippyshare.com/v/hyHTHZNL/file.html
1 The Eyes Of Death
2 Come In Out Of The Rain
3 The World's Richest Jackass
4 Wichita Town
5 Streets Of Laredo
6 Who Rides With Billy
7 The Ghost Of Indian Joe
8 Esther
9 Dark As A Dungeon
10 Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
11 Mississippi Gambler
12 Long Black Veil
Just been given "Danny Dill - Long Black veil" album. Will give link if required.
Cool! Could you please share the LBV Album? I would really appreciate that.
Keep up the good work. This is one of my favorite blogs. Cheers!
Here you are Rusty....
http://www120.zippyshare.com/v/on1ZaRfm/file.html
Regards, Bob
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