Today I am thinking about Dean Webb, his family and the Dillard’s family.

When I first joined NGR being a young rocker with no knowledge of Bluegrass other than NGDB’s 1st “Circle” recording, Sam, Curtis, & Courtney impressed upon me how very important the Dillards were. I bought “Copperfields” and “Wheatstraw Suite”. Needless to say I was blown away. Not too long thereafter we ended up playing shows with The Dillards.

There is a tear producing scene at the end of the Fred Rogers documentary “Would You Be My Neighbor” where Mr. Rogers asks the viewers to contemplate all those people who ever “helped you” in the course of your life.

Today I’m remembering how very kind and supportive Dean was to all of us and how comforting that was to a bunch of young musicians that were confronted regularly about the validity of the path we were pursuing. Let’s also not forget what a great mandolin player, singer, and MC he was.

Thank you Dean Webb, go rest high!