Luther and Cody Dickinson were born into music. The sons of Jim Dickinson, the legendary producer (Big Star, The Replacements) and musician (Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Dr John), they were "home-schooled" in music history. The boys formed their first band before Luther turned ten and while still teenagers, they toiled over the mixing board with the Replacements, Beck, Mojo Nixon and rockabilly legend, Billy Lee Riley.
Early on, the Dickinson brothers formed D.D.T. with Memphis bassist, Paul "Snowflake" Taylor and became favorites on the Southern Alternative circuit opening for the Replacements, the Spin Doctors, Jakob Dylan and Ice-T (at the National Civil Rights Museum).
Gutbucket, the trioΓÇÖs acoustic alter ego, was the first indication of the DickinsonsΓÇÖ interest in Southern roots music. Carrying on in the tradition of the Memphis Jug Band, the boys played tub bass, washboard, guitar and kazoo on historic Beale Street, as well as recording a Gutbucket EP for Shangri-LA/Sugar Ditch Records, WhereΓÇÖs the Man with the Jive.
LutherΓÇÖs friendship with fife master, Othar Turner, led to him producing an EP for Shangri-La/Sugar Ditch and a subsequent CD, Everybody HollerinΓÇÖ Goat, for Birdman Records.
The EP Othar rose to the Top Ten in Rolling StoneΓÇÖs Alternative Music Charts and Everybody HollerinΓÇÖ Goat was chosen by Chris Morris of Billboard as his #2 choice for Best Record of the Year and was selected as one of the ten essential blues albums of the decade in Rolling Stone.
The North Mississippi Allstars began as a side project, debuting at Dixie Fried ΓÇÖ96, sharing the stage with Othar Turner and R.L. Burnside. The show was critically acclaimed in the Memphis newspaper as the "Best Show of the Year." The Allstars with Kelley Hurt on vocals recorded a tribute to Fred McDowell, "61 Highway." After Luther toured the northeast with R.L. Burnside, the Dickinson Brothers went on the road with Fat Possum Records artists, T-Model Ford and Spam and 20 Miles.
Luther and Cody returned with new resolve. The Dickinsons enlisted Hernando, MS high school friend, gospel bassist, Chris Chew. It was magic.
The North Mississippi Allstars became regulars playing on Beale Street in Memphis, TN at BB Kings, Blues Hall and the Black Diamond. The Allstars played the grand opening of the Hard Rock Cafe on Beale Street with Jacob Dylan and the Wallflowers. They have been honored both by the Memphis local NARAS chapter as Premiers Players, as well as at the annual charity Blues Ball. They headlined the Memphis Stage at NashvilleΓÇÖs Chet-Fest and played festivals from Jacksonville Beach, FL, Norman, OK as well as the King Biscuit Festival, Vicksburg Blues Festival and the Sunflower Blues Festival in Clarksdale, MS.
The North Mississippi Allstars split their time touring in 1998 and 1999 opening for friends Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Medeski, Martin and Wood.
They are currently recording their debut CD to be released in the spring of the year 2000.
