Biography.guide
Home › People › Jazz musician › Don Gililland
Portrait of Don Gililland

Don Gililland

b. 1939

Jazz guitarist and composer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Don Gililland

Born 1939. Don Gililland is an American jazz musician, jazz guitarist and songwriter.

Don Dow Gililland (commonly misspelled as Gilliland; born 31 January 1939 Dallas, Texas) is a jazz guitarist and composer who recorded three rockabilly hits in 1956 on Sun Records with "Wade & Dick — The College Kids," led by Wade Lee Moore (born 1934) and Dick Penner: "Wild Woman", "Don't Need Your Lovin"', and "Bop Bop Baby".

Gililland got a part as a guitarist in the movie Rock Baby Rock It!, which was being filmed in Dallas in 1956. During the next year, he enrolled at North Texas State University, where he performed with the school's One O'Clock Lab Band. After graduating he worked in clubs with Buster Smith. During the day, he was employed by the Oak Cliff Tribune. He became managing editor, then worked for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

"Bop Bop Baby" was included on the soundtrack of Walk the Line, the film biography of Johnny Cash.

Discography As sideman One O'Clock Lab Band, North Texas Lab Band (90th Floor, 1961) ; re-released under the title The Road to Stan (90th Floor, 2009) as a tribute to musicians associated with the Stan Kenton Orchestra Don Jacoby, Swinging Big Sound: Don Jacoby and The College All Stars (Decca, 1961) Wade & Dick – The College Kids, "Bop Bop Baby" b/w "Don't Need Your Lovin' Baby" (Sun, 1957); "Bop Bop Baby" (alternate version) b/w/ "Don't Need Your Lovin' Baby" (1956) Dick Penner, "Cindy Lou" (Sun, 1957) Sag, Drag and Fall (1955), score composed by Ken Massey and Don Gililland

Filmography Rock Baby Rock It! (1957) This World Won't Break (2019)

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
Don Dow Gililland

People in Don Gililland's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Don Gililland's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Don Gililland?

Jazz guitarist and composer

When was Don Gililland born?

Don Gililland was born on 31 January 1939.

What is Don Gililland's occupation?

Don Gililland is a jazz musician, jazz guitarist and songwriter.

What nationality is Don Gililland?

Don Gililland is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Don Gililland

· Wikidata: Q5292670

· DBpedia: Don Gililland

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Don Gililland. https://biography.guide/don-gililland/

MLA: "Don Gililland." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/don-gililland/.

Chicago: "Don Gililland." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/don-gililland/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC