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 |
