Dean Dillon

American country singer / songwriter, born March 26, 1955 in Lake City, Tennessee. Also known as Dean Rutherford, Dean Dalton. He is the father of Songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon. Dean started writing songs when he was eleven years old and had his first public appearance at the age of thirteen. Then he was playing for a few years nearby Knoxville. A short-lived stint on Plantation Records, under the name Dean Dalton, produced the single Las Vegas Girl. In 1976, Dillon landed the role of Hank Williams in Opryland's Country Music Show, USA. The theme park gig indirectly helped Dillon secure his first publishing deal. Between 1979 and 1981 Dillon released 12 singles for RCA Records. He also wrote songs under his birth name Dean Rutherford. As a recording artist between 1979 and 1983, Dillon charted eight times, including one top 30 hit, I'm into the Bottle (To Get You out of My Mind). He featured on several duet albums with songwriting partner Gary Stewart. Dillon has also notably worked with a younger generation of country stars including Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney. In 2002, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Bob Dylan and Shel Silverstein.

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