DILLON HODGES BIO

2007 FLAT PICKING GUITAR NATIONAL CHAMPION DHR REPRESENTATIVE

Since the time that Dillon Hodges first played a guitar at age 11, his musical journey has been on a fast track.

Having already won two flat-picking national championships and released his debut CD by age 17, Hodges has now signed a five-year deal to exclusively represent DHR Music, Inc., of Cincinnati.

In doing so, Hodges will make appearances at DHR events and will perform at the company’s booth at numerous national guitar shows and trade show events. He will be featured in DHR promotions and advertisements in a variety of publications and he will also exclusively endorse Breedlove acoustic guitars, Benedetto arch-top guitars and Hamer electric guitars.

Less than two years after he first picked up a guitar, Dillon won a national championship as the best flat picking guitar player in the country for ages 12-and-under.

In September of 2007, just one month past his 17th birthday, Hodges won the Flat Picking National Championship at the 36th Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, besting a field of 40 of the nation’s top pickers.

With the win Hodges became the first guitar player ever to win the title of National Champion Country Music Beginner in Flat Top Guitar and the Flat Picking National Championship.

In winning the Walnut Valley Festival, Hodges became the first left-handed player in the 36 years of the event to win. He is also the first winner from the state of Alabama and is the second youngest winner ever - second only to Mark O’Connor.

The summer and fall of 2007 was a memorable time for Dillon. He released his debut CD, “Stormy Weather,” in July of 2007. He was a featured artist in the September/October issue of Flat Picking Guitar Magazine. He won first place in the Indiana State Championships in Guitar and teamed with friends Solly Burton and Olivia Smiley in the band Ol Dill to win both the Kentucky State and Indiana State Bluegrass Band championships.

Dillon, now a sophomore at the University of North Alabama, is singing and writing songs and performs regularly as a solo artist and with his various bands - Missy Raines and the New Hip, Ag’inst the Grain, the Smokin Strings Quartet and The Ray Brothers.
Missy Raines and the New Hip is releasing its debut CD “Inside Out” on February 6 at the Station Inn in Nashville. The album, on Compass Records, includes two of Dillon’s original songs - “The Duke of Paducah”
and “In Over My Head.”

At the age of 12, having played guitar for just over a year, he won the title of National Champion Country Music Beginner in Flat Top Guitar at the 2003 Fiddlers Jamboree in Smithville, Tenn. In 2004 he won the “Future Hall of Famers” competition held by the International Bluegrass Music Museum, as well as seven adult flat-picking competitions. In his five years of competing, Hodges has won 14 guitar championships and has competed in events in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana and Kansas.

Hodges asked for a guitar for his 11th birthday and, not knowing if he would really stick with learning to play, his parents talked to an uncle who gave Dillon a hand-me-down Regal. Mark Campbell, a family friend who plays several instruments but had never taught lessons, offered to teach Dillon as part of his birthday present. Mark taught Dillon for a few weeks and it wasn’t going very well - but he was teaching him right- handed. When he switched Dillon to playing left handed everything just clicked. After playing for only a couple of months, Mark began carrying Dillon to J. Fiddler’s Restaurant to pick in the back room with the house band, then he began playing on stage.

In August 2002 Dillon entered his first guitar competition in Moulton, Ala., and fell in love with competing.

He then won his first competition - in the Adult Division - at a festival in Columbia, Tenn., in October of 2002 Dillon continued competing in festivals and began placing in the Adult division in bigger festivals and in July (2003) he went to the 32nd Annual Jamboree in Smithville, Tenn., which is the junior national championships for guitar. When he got there, he asked if he could enter in both the Adult Division - which was the first day - and the 12-and-under division, which was the second day. He was told that he could. He played the first day and was picked as one of three finalists in the Adult Division. But before he competed in the finals - they realized he was just 12 and told him he couldn’t compete in the finals. After that he competed in the 12-and- under division and won the competition - National Champion Country Music Beginner in Flat Top Guitar.

At the age of 13 he was given an artist endorsement by Gibson guitar, making him the youngest acoustic guitar player ever endorsed by Gibson. Since then he has won numerous adult competitions and placed in dozens of others - including winning seven in 2004. He has performed on several television shows across North Alabama, has been featured in numerous news articles and has played at events across the Southeast – including providing the pre-race entertainment at Aaron’s 499 at the Talladega SuperSpeedway on May 1, 2005.

MISSY RAINES AND THE NEW HIP * A Nashville based group that includes Dillon on both acoustic and electric guitar and vocals. The group is led by bass player Missy Raines, dobro player Mike Witcher and mandolin player Ethan Ballinger. Their style is a fusing of bluegrass virtuosity, jazz-tinged groove and a song- driven sensibility. The groups debut CD will be released in February. They are already touring nationally and have played at the Grey Fox Music Festival, the California Strawberry Festival and others across the nation.

THE RAY BROTHERS * A jazz, rock and funk band in the Muscle Shoals Music tradition, based in Florence, Ala., that includes Dillon on acoustic and electric guitar, lead vocals and back-up vocals, Ben Ray on Drums, Lee Taylor on guitar and vocals, Timmy Ray on keyboards and vocals and Joseph Thigpen on bass.

AG’INST THE GRAIN * A bluegrass and jazz trio, Hodges performs with brother and sister - Brad and Amy Leiter of Summertown, Tenn., as Ag’inst the Grain. The band includes Amy on vocals and fiddle, Brad on bass and Dillon on guitar, mandolin and vocals.

SMOKIN STRINGS QUARTET * The Smokin Strings Quartet was formed in the Summer of 2006 and includes, Dillon on guitar and vocals, Tim May of Nashville, Tenn., on guitar and mandolin, Mark Evitts of Independence, Ky., on fiddle and Brad Leiter on bass. Rachel Pochup of Florence also provides vocals. The members of the Smokin Strings also played on Dillon’s initial CD - “Stormy Weather” . The Smokin Strings perform jazz and swing tunes in their own unique style.

OL DILL * Dillon Hodges, fiddler Olivia Smiley and mandolin player Solly Burton have combined their talents to win both the Kentucky State and Indiana State Bluegrass Band Championships.

Dillon is now singing and writing songs as well and performs regularly as a solo artist and with his bands
Aginst the Grain and the Smokin’ Strings Quartet.


MORE INFO.

Website - www.dillonhodges.com and www.missyraines.com

MySpace - www.myspace.com/dillonhodges

CD can be purchased locally at Rivertown, Pegasus, Coldwater Books, Counts Brothers Music.

It is also available on CD Baby, iTunes and other digital distribution outlets.
PERFORMANCES:

Dillon has performed more than 100 times annually since 2003 at a wide variety of events, including:

Aaron’s 499 at Talladega SuperSpeedway

Alabama Arts Council State Awards Showcase

W.C. Handy Music Festival

George Lindsey Film Festival

Helen Keller Festival

Songwriter's Showcase - Von Braun Center

Sheffield Sings

Burritt Museum

The University of North Alabama

Jacksonville State University

Muscle Shoals Community Celebration

Lawrenceburg (Tenn.) Arts Festival

Huntsville Museum of Art

Tennessee Valley Arts Center

North Alabama Junior Miss Pageant

Times Daily's Women's Expo

Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet

W.C. Handy Festival Kidz Jamm

Florence Teacher's Institute

Holiday inn-Sheffield Songwriter's Showcase

Times Daily and Keller Hospital's Kids Expo

Coldwater Bookstore

Awards 

2007

Clarksville, Tennessee

Tennessee State Championships

2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Falls of Rough, Kentucky

Kentucky State Championships

3rd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Falls of Rough, Kentucky

Kentucky State Championships

1st Place - Bluegrass Band

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

1st Place - Bluegrass Band

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

1st Place - Flat Picking Guitar

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

Best Rhythym Player

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

3rd Place - Thumb Picking Guitar

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

3rd Place - Mandolin

 

Princeton, Indiana

Indiana State Championships

3rd Place - Old Time Singing

 

2006

 

Clarksville, Alabama

Tennessee State Championships

2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Holladay, Tennessee

50th Annual Old Time Fiddlers and Blue Grass Jamboree 3rd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Lester, Alabama

3rd Annual Sam McCracken Days

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Dickson, Tennessee

Arthur Smith and Robert Spicer Memorial Fiddler's Contest 2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

2005

 

Lester, Alabama

2nd Annual Sam McCracken Days

2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

11th Annual Wayne Henderson Guitar Competition 5th Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Smithville, Tennessee

34th Annual Fiddler’s Jamboree

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Uncle Dave Macon Days

3rd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

Rough River, Kentucky

 

Kentucky State Championships

3rd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

Rough River, Kentucky

Back-up Musician of the Year

 

Athens, Alabama

19th Annual Fiddlin’ and Bluegrass Contest 1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

2004

 

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

19th Annual Fiddlin’ and Bluegrass Contest 1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Fort Payne, Alabama

Dekalb County Fiddler’s Convention

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Holladay, Tennessee

48th Annual Old Time Fiddlers and Blue Grass Jamboree 2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Pulaski, Tennessee

Pulaski Pig Squeal

1st Place - (tied) - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Dayton, Tennessee

Tennessee Strawberry Festival Bluegrass Showdown 1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

Mt. Juliet Bluegrass Festival

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Dickson, Tennessee

Arthur Smith and Robert Spicer Memorial Fiddler’s Contest 2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Lafayette, Tennessee

Hillbilly Day

2nd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Owensboro, Kentucky

International Bluegrass Music Museum - Future Hall of Famers Competition River of Music Festival 1st Place

- Guitar (Teen 13-19 Category)

 

Smithville, Tennessee

33rd Annual Fiddler’s Jamboree

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Salvation Army Festival

2nd Place – (15 and under – open instrument)

 

Fayetteville, Tennessee

Lincoln County Bluegrass Festival

1st Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

Athens, Alabama

Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention

 

5th Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

2003

Tuscumbia, Alabama

Helen Keller Festival

3rd Place - Band (Adult Category)

 

Smithville, Tennessee

32nd Annual Fiddler’s Jamboree

1st Place - Guitar (12-and-under)

National Champion Country Music Beginner Top Three* - Guitar (Adult)

 

*Also qualified for adult finals before being disqualified for his age

 

Lebanon, Tennessee

9th Annual Cedar Fest

3rd Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

Athens, Alabama

Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention 4th Place - Guitar (Adult Category)

 

2002

Columbia, Tennessee

Old Time Fiddlin’ Convention