Advice and Whiskey with John Dillon

Biz 417: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
John Dillon: A musician and a guitar player. I wanted to be doing exactly what I’m doing.

Biz: Talk to me about following your instincts.
J.D.: I’m very aware of a still, small voice. And I try to cultivate those possibilities where I’m in a spot where I can at least hear the sound. I think all artists are trying to just follow your own heart, your own dream.

Biz: Tell me what happens when an idea strikes.
J.D.: I’ll write it down if I can. I have drawers of little notes. The best songs I’ve ever written take only 10 or 15 minutes. It’s almost like they come from some other planet. It is amazing. I don’t take it lightly. I’m so grateful for that, because so few people get to do this.

Biz: Describe how it felt having a No. 1 hit.
J.D.: Once we had ‘Jackie Blue,’ then the suits wanted a ‘Jackie Green’ or a ‘Jackie Red.’ They wanted us to keep doing that ‘hit factory stuff,’ and we just couldn’t do that. We write what we write when we write, for whatever reason. And then we’re not gonna sit down and write another hit song, so it’ll make the record company more money. And what’s weird is that the record company respected that.

Biz: How do you handle criticism?
J.D.: I couldn’t care less. If you believe in what you’re doing, and you are absolutely dedicated to the path you’ve chosen, criticism is a waste of time on the part of the artist.

Biz: How does it feel entering your final year-long tour?
J.D.: I’d rather be working and go out with a bang as opposed to just sort of drifting away, into the fog. And the fact that we’re ending [the tour] in Springfield…I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s the right thing to do.

The Story Behind the Ozarks Mountain Daredevils Gin

The idea of extending your brand identity with merch can certainly be appealing. But of course, to protect your brand, you want your name to only be associated with products that feel like an authentic fit. Therefore, when the opportunity arose for a partnership with a local distiller, Dillon was interested. “I think our brand speaks to authenticity, and a sense of place,” says Dillon. “We have proven that in our lifestyle and our career.”

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils brand and trademark are owned by the remaining three co-founders of the band: Dillon, Michael “Supe” Granda and the estate of Steve Cash.

As an ode to their first record that was recorded in London in 1973, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils Ozark Dry Gin was created. It was inspired by local botanicals and the traditional production of London dry gin in a special Carter Head still. E.E. Lawson Distillery is the distillery of record for the gin—and it’s produced in Springfield under the watchful eye of Ty Iechyd Da Distillery. If the name E.E. Lawson rings a bell, that’s because it’s the title of a song from the It’ll Shine When it Shines album, named for a local storekeeper who lived in the middle of the woods near Ava.

It isn’t their only liquor partnership. In 2024, Brad Feuerbacher with Brown Derby reached out pursuing a partnership with Maker’s Mark. Dillon was familiar with the whiskey creation and tasting process because of a past experience with his cousin, Brad Boswell, CEO of Independent Stave in Lebanon, which supplies barrels to Maker’s Mark.

Once the flavor profile was agreed upon by a small group of tasters including Dillon, the booze went back into the barrel to age for nine weeks. But this particular barrel had a special aging treatment. Sitting next to the barrel for the entire process was a small speaker playing “If You Want to Get to Heaven” on repeat, as it sat in the bottom of the rick house. “I think we have the very best Maker’s Mark ever made. And it’s gone,” says John Dillon. The whiskey quickly sold out last November.

Since the first barrel was such a hit, there are plans underway for a re-release later this year using the exact same process and the same staves. However, no word yet on which song will be playing during the aging process.