Moses Dillard

Moses C. Dillard Jr. (30 September 1946 – 14 July 1993; Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.A.) was an American soul vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer who was famously discovered by soul icon Otis Redding. He built a distinguished dual career in music that spanned more than 20 years, seamlessly balancing his reputation as a premier session guitarist working out of Muscle Shoals with leading his own successful touring bands.

Dillard achieved enduring recognition as the founder of the rhythm and blues group Tex-Town Display and the instrumental ensemble The Lovejoy Orchestra, as well as for his early 1980s output as one half of the celebrated duo Dillard & Boyce. Throughout his professional journey, his technical versatility allowed him to move effortlessly between traditional Southern soul, heavy funk, and mainstream disco.

Early Life

Born into a musical family in Greenville, Dillard's foundational training began within his local church community at the city's branch of the United House of Prayer for All People. This Pentecostal denomination, famous for its ecstatic worship services, centred its liturgy around trombone-led brass bands, providing a vibrant musical environment where Dillard learned to play the trombone at a young age.

He quickly advanced from wowing his local congregation to mastering the guitar, which became his primary instrument and the vehicle for his creative expression. Absorbing the regional gospel, blues, and rhythm styles of the Deep South, Dillard organised his first formal touring group, the Dynamic Showmen, before he reached the age of 20, quickly achieving local notoriety and establishing his status as a prodigy within the South Carolina music circuit.

Career

Following his early discovery by Otis Redding, Dillard entered a highly prolific recording era, initiating a partnership with singer James Moore under the name Moses & Joshua. Working under Don Schroeder’s Papa Don Productions in Pensacola, Florida, the duo scored notable hits with "My Elusive Dreams" and "Get Out of My Heart" on the Mala label between 1966 and 1967, followed by the 1968 Coral Records release "Soul Symphony".

Concurrently, Dillard's guitar virtuosity led to intensive session work in Muscle Shoals, where he recorded and toured with legendary acts such as Oscar Toney, Jr., Mighty Sam, and James and Bobby Purify. Returning to Greenville in 1970, he formed Tex-Town Display, a group whose lineup famously included a young Peabo Bryson. Their single "I've Got to Find a Way" became a massive regional success, leading to a national distribution contract with Curtom Records that sold 250,000 copies.

After a less successful follow-up single titled "Our Love Is True" and a brief period recording for Atlanta's Shout label, the group disbanded when Bryson departed for a solo career. Remaining based in Atlanta, Dillard formed The Lovejoy Orchestra, scoring an instrumental hit with a self-titled theme in 1975, and spent the late 1970s recording under various pseudonyms, including Moses, the disco-centric Constellation Orchestra, and the duo Dillard & Johnson with Lorraine Johnson for Epic Records.

In the early 1980s, he reunited with former Dynamic Showmen bassist Jesse Boyce to form Dillard & Boyce, releasing material on the Mercury label. Dillard also excelled behind the mixing desk; his production work on Al Green's 1982 traditional gospel recording "Precious Lord" earned a prestigious Grammy Award.

Personal Life

Dillard was widely respected not only for his musical innovations but also for his dedication to community work and his role as a passionate civil rights activist. His deep commitment to his faith and community eventually led him to step away from mainstream commercial touring to pursue higher education, earning a master's degree in divinity from Vanderbilt University.

He spent his later years serving as an ordained pastor at multiple Methodist churches in Nashville, Tennessee, successfully bridging his artistic legacy with spiritual leadership. His enduring commitment to community progress lives on through his family, notably his daughter Chandra Dillard, who serves the public as an esteemed member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

On 14 July 1993, Moses C. Dillard Jr. passed away in Nashville at the age of 46, leaving behind a rich archive of Southern soul history.

Current Activities

Dillard's extensive career has experienced a significant modern renaissance, driven by global soul collectors and archival record labels. His independent releases, mainstream studio albums, and previously rare vinyl singles recorded with Tex-Town Display and the Lovejoy Orchestra have been systematically digitised and restored, expanding his reach across modern digital streaming platforms. These digital reissues ensure that his technical milestones, session contributions, and songwriting catalogue remain highly accessible to new generations of rhythm and blues enthusiasts.