Hayseed Dixie

Biography

Hayseed Dixie is an American band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2000 by frontman John Wheeler (aka Barley Scotch), who grew up in a trailer park on Dickerson Road in the city, influenced by prog rock, punk, the Bible, and German existentialist philosophers before embracing hillbilly traditions. The band originated as a playful project in Wheeler's Nashville recording studio, where he jammed AC/DC songs with brothers Dale Reno (mandolin) and Don Wayne Reno (banjo), leading to their debut album A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC released in 2001, which sold over 250,000 copies in the US and introduced their self-coined 'rockgrass' genre blending electrified acoustic bluegrass with hard rock covers and satirical originals.[1][3][4] Their career exploded with extensive US touring, radio play, and three albums charting in Billboard's bluegrass Top 15 simultaneously in 2003, followed by strong European success including Glastonbury 2005, Download Festival 2007, and their own Loopallu festival in Scotland.[1][2]

Hayseed Dixie has released 16 studio albums, including themed tributes like Kiss My Grass (2003) and recent works such as Hair Down to My Grass (2015, UK Country #1) and Shattered Grass (2021), while performing over 1,400 shows in 31 countries on instruments like banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and acoustic bass. Lineup changes marked their path: the Reno brothers departed in 2013 to form Reno and Harrell, replaced by Johnny Butten (banjo/mandolin, Guinness fastest banjo player) and Hippy Joe Hymas in 2014, with current members including Wheeler, Hymas, Jake 'Bakesnake' Byers (bass), and Richard Collins (banjo).[1][2][4] Their style satirizes rock tropes through bluegrass, earning enduring festival appeal in Europe despite shifting rosters.[1]

The band's legacy lies in pioneering 'rockgrass,' bridging bluegrass and hard rock with humor, as seen in AC/DC-inspired origins and absurd originals, influencing niche fusion genres while maintaining a cult following through relentless touring and thematic live sets like their 2010 Glasgow 'Hayfest'.[1][3]

Fun Facts

• Their name is a play on AC/DC, and AC/DC's Cliff Williams joined them onstage for 'Have a Drink On Me' at a 2001 tour-wrap party.[2]
• In 2010, they performed 'Hayfest' in Glasgow: four themed nights (drinking, cheating, killing, hell songs) with over eight hours of no-repeat music.[1]
• Dale Reno earned the nickname 'Ty Coon' during 2002 tours while seeking 'new wives' in roadhouses.[2]
• John Wheeler once compared Hank Williams and AC/DC's Bon Scott on commitment, noting Hank died at 29 from drinking while Bon took until 33.[3]

Members

• Dale Reno - mandolin (until 2013)
• Don Wayne Reno - banjo (until 2013)
• Jake Byers - background vocals
• Jake Byers - acoustic bass guitar
• Tim Carter - background vocals
• Tim Carter - banjo
• Hippy Joe Hymas - background vocals
• Hippy Joe Hymas - mandolin
• Barley Scotch - lead vocals
• Barley Scotch - acoustic guitar

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Roy Clark - Early TV influence on banjo playing for Richard Collins (Roy Clark TV show in the 1970s) [1970s]

Key Collaborators

• Cliff Williams - AC/DC bassist who invited them to a tour-wrap party and joined onstage ("Have a Drink On Me" live performance) [2001]
• Dale Reno - Original mandolin player and co-founder (Debut album A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC and early albums) [2000-2013]
• Don Wayne Reno - Original banjo player and co-founder (Debut album A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC and early albums) [2000-2013]
• Johnny Butten - Banjo/mandolin player, Guinness world record holder for fastest banjo (Various albums post-2014) [2014-?]
• Hippy Joe Hymas - Longtime mandolin/acoustic guitar player (Albums including Hair Down to My Grass (2015)) [2014-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #bluegrass, #country