Dez Dickerson
Encyclopedia
Dez Dickerson is an American
guitarist
and singer who was a member of Prince's
former band
, The Revolution
.
call for a touring musician in the Twin Cities Reader, a local entertainment paper, in 1979. After a 15 minute audition in the back of Del's Tire Mart, Dickerson was picked as guitarist
. He became a fan-favorite in concert
. He was soon recognized as much for his trademark "Rising Sun" headband
as for his blistering guitar work. In 1980 when off the road for Christmas
break, Dickerson had a profound conversion experience and became a born-again Christian
. Afterwards, performing songs with sexual
themes began to trouble his conscience
. Even though Dickerson's and Prince's popularity
were growing, he desired more and more to quit the band. He contributed songs for Prince's side projects, writing "He's So Dull" for Vanity 6
, and co-writing "Wild And Loose", "After Hi School", and "Cool" for The Time
. Dickerson contributed vocals to "Little Red Corvette
" and "1999
" on the 1999
album, as well as the guitar solo for "Little Red Corvette
" that ranked #64 on Guitar World's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
However, following the 1999 tour, Dickerson left the band to pursue other options. He was replaced by Wendy Melvoin
.
After leaving the Revolution, Dickerson formed his own short-lived band, the Modernaires and toured in support of Billy Idol
on his 1984 Rebel Yell
tour, frequently joining Idol onstage. Dickerson appeared in the movie Purple Rain with the Modernaires, but their song was not released as a single nor on the Purple Rain soundtrack
. A solo recording deal failed to materialize, however, and in 1987, Dickerson relocated to Nashville
to back singer Judson Spence
. He also kept busy with session work and producing other artists.
In 1990, Dickerson was named Vice President
of A&R
with the CCM
label Starsong Communications. Four years later he founded his own label, Absolute Records, a Christian-rock
record company. He released a solo album in the late 1990s entitled Oneman. He recently released a book
, My Time with Prince-Confessions of a Former Revolutionary, which tells of his time with Prince and the Revolution from his first audition in 1978 until his departure in 1983. Many fans agree that Dickerson never got the music industry break that he deserved as a black rock artist in the 80s.
In 2005, Dickerson released a double CD retrospective collection of his work from 1982 to 1987. It marked the long-awaited official release of the complete version of the classic "Modernaire". Taken from the film Purple Rain and featuring Prince on guitars, keyboards and backing vocals, this track was released on vinyl in 2008 by the UK label, Citinite
.
Also in 2005, a 3-CD set was released entitled "Rock of Ages - Where Classic Hymns Meet Classic Rock!". This was produced, arranged, recorded and mixed by Dez Dickerson. Featuring trademark powerful guitar riffs, it presented 32 well-known hymns in a rock format, with Dez playing many of the instruments. Joining Dez on this project was his son, Jordan Dickerson, who contributed drums to many of the tracks and bass guitar on some. Jordan also arranged "Agnus Dei".
Dickerson's wife of 26 years, Rebecca, filed for divorce in 2007.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer who was a member of Prince's
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
former band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, The Revolution
The Revolution (band)
The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince. Although widely associated with rock music, the band's sound incorporated heavy metal, pop, funk, R&B and hard rock elements. Before their official break-up, The Revolution had released one studio album,...
.
Biography
A veteran of numerous Minneapolis rock bands, Dickerson answered Prince'sPrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
call for a touring musician in the Twin Cities Reader, a local entertainment paper, in 1979. After a 15 minute audition in the back of Del's Tire Mart, Dickerson was picked as guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He became a fan-favorite in concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
. He was soon recognized as much for his trademark "Rising Sun" headband
Headband
A headband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plastic or metal...
as for his blistering guitar work. In 1980 when off the road for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
break, Dickerson had a profound conversion experience and became a born-again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. Afterwards, performing songs with sexual
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
themes began to trouble his conscience
Conscience
Conscience is an aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong. Moral judgement may derive from values or norms...
. Even though Dickerson's and Prince's popularity
Popularity
Popularity is the quality of being well-liked or common, or having a high social status. Popularity figures are an important part of many people's personal value systems and form a vital component of success in people-oriented fields such as management, politics, and entertainment, among...
were growing, he desired more and more to quit the band. He contributed songs for Prince's side projects, writing "He's So Dull" for Vanity 6
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.They released one studio album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.-Formation:...
, and co-writing "Wild And Loose", "After Hi School", and "Cool" for The Time
The Time (band)
The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
. Dickerson contributed vocals to "Little Red Corvette
Little Red Corvette
"Little Red Corvette" is a song by the American musician Prince. Released as a single from the album 1999 in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" and "1999
1999 (song)
"1999" is a song by Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. The song is one of Prince's best-known, and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status....
" on the 1999
1999 (album)
1999 is the fifth studio album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most...
album, as well as the guitar solo for "Little Red Corvette
Little Red Corvette
"Little Red Corvette" is a song by the American musician Prince. Released as a single from the album 1999 in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" that ranked #64 on Guitar World's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
However, following the 1999 tour, Dickerson left the band to pursue other options. He was replaced by Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin
Wendy Melvoin is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince as part of his backing band The Revolution, and for her collaboration with Lisa Coleman as one half of the duo Wendy & Lisa....
.
After leaving the Revolution, Dickerson formed his own short-lived band, the Modernaires and toured in support of Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
on his 1984 Rebel Yell
Rebel yell
The rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers would use the yell during charges to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had other uses. The exact sound of the yell is unknown and the subject of much...
tour, frequently joining Idol onstage. Dickerson appeared in the movie Purple Rain with the Modernaires, but their song was not released as a single nor on the Purple Rain soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. A solo recording deal failed to materialize, however, and in 1987, Dickerson relocated to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to back singer Judson Spence
Judson Spence
Judson Spence is an American pop music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. He originally gained fame when he released his eponymously titled debut solo effort on Atlantic Records in 1988...
. He also kept busy with session work and producing other artists.
In 1990, Dickerson was named Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
with the CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
label Starsong Communications. Four years later he founded his own label, Absolute Records, a Christian-rock
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
record company. He released a solo album in the late 1990s entitled Oneman. He recently released a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
, My Time with Prince-Confessions of a Former Revolutionary, which tells of his time with Prince and the Revolution from his first audition in 1978 until his departure in 1983. Many fans agree that Dickerson never got the music industry break that he deserved as a black rock artist in the 80s.
In 2005, Dickerson released a double CD retrospective collection of his work from 1982 to 1987. It marked the long-awaited official release of the complete version of the classic "Modernaire". Taken from the film Purple Rain and featuring Prince on guitars, keyboards and backing vocals, this track was released on vinyl in 2008 by the UK label, Citinite
Citinite
Citinite is a record label launched in 2006 which specialises in electrofunk. Its artist roster is a mix of new artists, such as Her Bad Habit, Gosub and Sweat.X, and older artists who helped pioneer the electrofunk genre, such as John Davis and Egyptian Lover....
.
Also in 2005, a 3-CD set was released entitled "Rock of Ages - Where Classic Hymns Meet Classic Rock!". This was produced, arranged, recorded and mixed by Dez Dickerson. Featuring trademark powerful guitar riffs, it presented 32 well-known hymns in a rock format, with Dez playing many of the instruments. Joining Dez on this project was his son, Jordan Dickerson, who contributed drums to many of the tracks and bass guitar on some. Jordan also arranged "Agnus Dei".
Dickerson's wife of 26 years, Rebecca, filed for divorce in 2007.
Albums
- Oneman (1999), Absolute
- Rock of Ages - Where Classic Hymns Meet Classic Rock! (2005) Madacy
- A Retrospective 1982-1987 (2006)