Dean Dillon

Dean Dillon (born Larry Dean Flynn; March 26, 1955) is an American country musician and songwriter. Between 1982 and 1993, he recorded six studio albums on various labels, and charted several singles on the Billboard country charts. Since 1993, Dillon has continued to write hit songs for other artists, most notably George Strait.

In 2002, Dillon was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2020, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Early life Dean Dillon was born Larry Dean Flynn Dillon first recorded on the Plantation label as Dean Rutherford, and then as Dean Dalton. Upon moving to RCA Records, he was persuaded to change his recording name; record executive Jerry Bradley randomly picked the name Dillon from a telephone book. With the help of business associates from Texas, Dillon created his own record label WildCatter Records, signing Sundance Head. On January 25, 2019, their first album together, Stained Glass and Neon, was released.

Personal life Dillon's daughter, Jessie Jo Dillon, is also a songwriter. He also has another daughter, named Song, who is also a singer songwriter. Dillon is currently married to Susie

Discography

Albums Year AlbumUS Country Label 1982 Brotherly Love (with Gary Stewart) 23 RCA 1983 Those Were the Days (with Gary Stewart) 54 1988 Slick Nickel — Capitol 1989 I've Learned to Live — 1991 Out of Your Ever Lovin' Mind 58 Atlantic 1993 Hot, Country and Single —

Singles

Music videos Year Video Director 1988 "The New Never Wore Off My Sweet Baby" John Lloyd Miller 1991 "Holed Up in Some Honky Tonk" "Don't You Even (Think About Leaving)" 1993 "Hot, Country & Single" Mary Newman-Said

Songs written Dillon has 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. Dillon co-wrote two songs on Toby Keith's 2005 album Honkytonk University, and five on his 2006 album White Trash with Money, including the single "A Little Too Late".

Dillon has either written or co-written the following singles for other artists:

ArtistSongCo-writersAlabama"Changes Comin' On"Brooks & Dunn"I'll Never Forgive My Heart"Ronnie Dunn, Janine DunnDavid Allan Coe"Tennessee Whiskey"Linda HargroveDavid Kersh"She Wants Me to Stay (Stay Gone)"Ronnie DunnDennis Robbins"The Only Slide I Ever Played On"Dennis RobbinsGary Stewart"An Empty Glass"Gary StewartGeorge Jones"Tennessee Whiskey"Linda HargroveGeorge Strait"A Real Good Place to Start"Gary Nicholson"Any Old Love Won't Do"Frank Dycus"Back to Bein' Me"Hank Cochran"Down and Out"Frank Dycus"Drinkin' Man"George Strait, Bubba Strait"Easy Come, Easy Go"Aaron Barker"Famous Last Words of a Fool"Rex Huston"For Christ's Sake, It's Christmas"Hank Cochran"Four Down and Twelve Across"Tom Douglas"Friday Night Fever"Frank Dycus, Blake Mevis"Give Me More Time"Al Anderson, Scotty Emerick"Good News, Bad News"Dale Dodson, Lee Ann Womack"Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart"Frank Dycus"He's Got That Something Special"George Strait, Bubba Strait"Holding My Own"Pam Belford"Honk If You Honky Tonk"Ken Mellons, John Northrup"Honky Tonk Crazy"Frank Dycus"Honkytonkville"Buddy Brock, Kim Williams"I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore"Scotty Emerick, Maria Cannon-Goodman"I Believe"George Strait, Bubba Strait"I Get Along With You"Frank Dycus, Murray F. Cannon, Raleigh Squires, and Jimmy Darrell"I'd Just as Soon Go"Aaron Barker"If I Know Me"Pam Belford"If Heartaches Were Horses"Buddy Brock, Wil Nance"If It's Gonna Rain"Scotty Emerick, Donny Kees"I'm All Behind You Now""Is It That Time Again"Buddy Cannon, Vern Gosdin"It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You"Royce Porter"I've Come to Expect It From You"Buddy Cannon"Lead On"Teddy Gentry"Living for the Night"George Strait, Bubba Strait"Marina del Rey"Frank Dycus"Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her"Ocean Front Property"Hank Cochran, Royce Porter"Peace of Mind"Aaron Barker"Rockin' in the Arms of Your Memory"Norro Wilson"She Let Herself Go"Kerry Kurt Phillips"She's Playing Hell Trying to Get Me to Heaven"David Wills, Charles Quillen"She Took the Wind From His Sails"Donny Kees"That's My Kind of Woman"Tammy Hyler"That's the Breaks"Royce Porter"That's Where I Wanna Take Our Love"Hank Cochran"The Best Day"Carson Chamberlain"The Breath You Take"Jessie Jo Dillon, Casey Beathard"The Chair"Hank Cochran"The Road Less Traveled"Buddy Brock"Unwound"Frank Dycus"We're Supposed to Do That Now and Then"David Anthony, Joseph-Nicholas-Pancrac Royer"West Texas Town"Robert Earl Keen"What Would Your Memories Do"Hank Cochran"When You're in Love"Kerry Kurt Phillips"Without Me Around"John Northrup"Without You Here"Royce Porter"You Sure Got This Ol' Redneck Feelin' Blue"Buzz RabinGranger Smith"C'est La Vie"Aaron Barker, Gary ChapmanHank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, and Ernest Tubb"Leave Them Boys Alone"Gary StewartJim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius"Lying in Love with You"Gary HarrisonKeith Whitley"Miami, My Amy"Hank Cochran, Royce Porter"Homecoming '63"Royce PorterKenny Chesney"A Chance"Royce Porter"A Lot of Things Different"Bill Anderson"Be As You Are"Kenny Chesney"Boats"Kenny Chesney, Scotty Emerick"Guitars and Tiki Bars"Kenny Chesney, Mark Tamburino"I'm Alive""She Always Says It First"Kenny Chesney"Soul of a Sailor"Kenny Chesney, Scotty Emerick"The Angel at the Top of My Tree"Kenny Chesney, Buddy CannonLee Ann Womack"Have You Seen That Girl?""Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago"Lee Ann Womack featuring George Strait"We've Called It Everything But Quits" Lorrie Morgan"Is It Raining at Your House"Hank Cochran, Vern GosdinPam Tillis"All the Good Ones Are Gone""Spilled Perfume"Paul Overstreet"If I Could Bottle This Up"Rodney Atkins"The Corner"Dale Dodson, Jessie Jo DillonSammy Kershaw"One Day Left to Live"Shenandoah"Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)"Ronnie DunnToby Keith"A Little Too Late"Toby Keith, Scotty Emerick"Ain't No Right Way""Burnin' Moonlight""Get My Drink On""Go with Her""I Ain't Already There""Knock Yourself Out""Note to Self""Too Far This Time""You Ain't Leaving (Thank God Are Ya)"Vern Gosdin"Is It Raining at Your House""Set 'Em Up, Joe"Vince Gill"Whippoorwill River"Vince GillWendel Adkins"Slide Guitar"Dennis Robbins

Awards and nominations As a recording artist

As a songwriter