If you are a hardcore fan of NBC’s The Voice. . . then you know the name Sundance Head. He was the Season 11 winner from Team Blake. If you are familiar with the George Jones turned Chris Stapleton hit “Tennessee Whiskey” (and who isn’t?), there’s a small chance you may know the name Dean Dillon. If you live in Nashville and work in the music industry, you have no excuse for not knowing either one of these names and the amazing gentlemen that lay claim to them.
Dillon, a hit songwriter and artist of his own right (clearly), can also add a long list of George Strait hits to his resume, in addition to “Tennessee Whiskey” for Jones. “Easy Come, Easy Go”, “The Chair”, and “Marina Del Rey” are among the 63 cuts for Strait, 11 of those 63 going straight to #1. And in the late 70s/early 80s, the Lake City, TN native released singles under RCA as an artist in his own right. If you took a stroll thru the halls of his Colorado ranch, you would find plaques and photos from past honors, such as the CMA Triple Play Award (1995, 1996, 1998) and the 2013 BMI Icon Award among others.
A man with his success should have no problems retiring. And that is exactly what Dillon thought he might do at his Colorado home. Until he got a call from Sundance Head.
And the rest, they say, is history. The multi- talented Dillon produced the new single for the equally multi-talented Head. And to think . . . . it all came from an argument with Head’s wife.
Cowritten with Bobby Tomberlin, Head told The Country Note that “Close Enough to Walk” came from a comment his wife made during a disagreement.
“I said, ‘Hey you don’t have to drive me crazy. I’m close enough to walk. And she said, ‘you need to go write that song.’ And I did. And that’s how that went down!”
Dillon had nothing but kind words to say about The Voice Champion. “He’s a breath of fresh air. We got together and I saw what kind of guy he was—easy going, likeable, funny as hell. But the thing that got me was his voice. I’ve never had the opportunity to work with that caliber of a singer.”
That voice is right! Head, who grew up in a musical family, says he never knew you could do other things but work in the music business and play music. After making a comfortable living playing music in Texas with three #1’s under his belt on the Texas Music Chart, Head wanted to go to the next level. With the desire to take on a national platform, The Voice seemed like the right fit. After mesmerizing America and eventually going on tour with his coach Blake Shelton, Head decided to concentrate on his writing and studio work. Earlier this year, his concentration paid off.
His album, Stained Glass and Neon, came out in January, much to the delight of his die hard fans. And yes, it was also produced by Dillon. To check out our review, click here. Currently on the roster of Dillon’s Wildcatter Records, Head looks forward to getting out on the road for the rest of 2019 and promoting the album. . . .and of course, meeting his fans across the country!
Check out what happened when The Country Note caught up with Sundance and Dean at the party in Nashville on May 20th celebrating the new single!
For more information, follow Sundance on socials @sundancehead and look up everything you need at www.sundancehead.com.