Sandy Dillon

{{Short description|American singer and songwriter (1960–2022)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Sandy Dillon | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | background = solo_singer | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = Sandra Ann Dillon | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1960|5|19}} | birth_place = [[Cohasset, Massachusetts]], U.S. | origin = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|08|04|1960|5|19}} | death_place = London, England | genre = | occupation = | instrument = | years_active = 1980s–2022 | label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]], [[One Little Indian]] | past_member_of = [[Ensemble Modern]], [[Man Parrish]] | website = | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}

'''Sandra Ann Dillon''' (May 19, 1960 – August 4, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter. She released several solo albums, describing her music as "jazz-punk western blues", and also worked with [[Ensemble Modern]] and [[Man Parrish]].<ref name="Harris">Harris, Craig "[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sandy-dillon-mn0000833726/biography Sandy Dillon Biography]", [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref>

==Career== Born near [[Cape Cod]], Dillon took up piano at the age of 6, and studied Orchestral Composition at [[Berklee College of Music]] in [[Boston]], before moving to New York City where she lived at the [[Hotel Chelsea|Chelsea Hotel]].<ref name="Harris" /> She played [[Janis Joplin]] on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in ''Rock n Roll: The First 5,000 Years'' where she was spotted by [[Tony DeFries]], who had managed both [[David Bowie]] and [[Iggy Pop]].<ref name="Harris" /> DeFries steered her to [[Elektra Records|Elektra]], for whom she recorded two (unreleased) albums ''Candy From A Stranger'' (produced by [[Man Parrish]]) and ''Flowers'' (co-produced by [[Mick Ronson]] and [[Dieter Meier]]), those songs previewed in a performance at [[Ronnie Scotts]] alongside Ronson on guitar.<ref name="Harris" /><ref>Thompson, Dave (1985) " Sandy Dillon And Mick Ronson: Ronnie Scotts, London", ''Melody Maker'', August 17, 1985</ref> Elektra released her third set as her debut album.<ref name="Harris" />

Dillon moved to London where she met her husband Steve Bywaters, who was a member of the [[Churchfitters]] (also known as the Blue Lighthouse Brigade in alternate form) alongside Pete Brown (bass and sax), Geoff Coombs (mandolin, whistles and vocals) and Angus Wallace (guitar and vocals). Steve Bywaters subsequently went on to produce several of Dillon's albums. She signed to [[One Little Indian]] for whom she recorded ''Electric Chair''.<ref>Juffin, Bruno (1999) "[http://www.lesinrocks.com/musique/critique-album/electric-chair/ Sandy Dillon – Electric Chair]", ''[[Les Inrockuptibles]]'', December 8, 1999. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref> In 2000 she released ''Las Vegas Is Cursed'', a collaboration with [[Hector Zazou]] and ''East Overshoe''. In 2001 Steve Bywaters died after suffering a heart attack.<ref name="Harris" /> Dillon went on and recorded the well-received ''Nobody's Sweetheart'', produced by Julius from [[Kinobe]] and featuring guest vocals from [[Heather Nova]], which was the first of Dillon's albums to be released in the US, in 2004.<ref>Thompson, Dave "[http://www.allmusic.com/album/nobodys-sweetheart-mw0000467070 ''Nobody's Sweetheart'' Review]", [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref><ref>"[http://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/sandy-dillon-nobodys-sweetheart Sandy Dillon – Nobody’s Sweetheart]", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', August 1, 2003. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref><ref>Paoletta, Michael (2004) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=MSUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Sandy+Dillon%22&pg=PA35 Sandy Dillon ''Nobody's Sweetheart'']", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', June 19, 2004, p. 35. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref><ref>MacNeil, Jason (2004) "[http://www.popmatters.com/review/dillonsandy-nobodys/ Sandy Dillon ''Nobody's Sweetheart'']", ''[[PopMatters]]'', June 7, 2004. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref> She then recorded the album ''Pull the Strings'', which was released in 2006.<ref name="Harris" /> Her 2008 album, ''Living in Dreams'', was recorded in Germany together with her new husband Ray Majors ([[Mott The Hoople]], [[The Yardbirds]]) and produced by David Coulter.<ref>Stafford, Charity "[http://www.allmusic.com/album/living-in-dreams-mw0000802425 ''Living In Dreams'' Review]", [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved August 6, 2016</ref> Dillon and Majors also contributed vocals and guitar to Sisters Euclid's album ''96 Tears'', a collection of cover versions.

Dillon died in London in August 2022. Her death occurred just hours apart from that of her husband, Ray Majors.<ref>{{cite news |title=Farewell, Sandy Dillon And Ray Majors |url=https://dmme.net/farewell-sandy-dillon-and-ray-majors/ |access-date=13 August 2022 |publisher=DMME |date=11 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.patriotledger.com/obituaries/pneo0287774|title=Sandra Anne Dillon Obituary - The Patriot Ledger|date=November 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116002400/https://www.patriotledger.com/obituaries/pneo0287774 |access-date=March 21, 2023|archive-date=November 16, 2022 }}</ref>

==Discography== ===Albums=== *''Dancing on the Freeway'' (1995), [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] *''Skating'' (1996), Bonjour *''Electric Chair'' (1999), [[One Little Indian]]/[[Virgin Records|Virgin]] *''12 (Las Vegas is Cursed)'' by Sandy Dillon & [[Hector Zazou]] (2000), [[Crammed Discs]] *''East Overshoe'' (2001), One Little Indian *''Nobody's Sweetheart'' (2003), One Little Indian *''Pull the Strings'' (2006), One Little Indian *''Living in Dreams'' (2008), Tradition & Moderne *''Flowers'' (2013), NRX *''Shipwrecked'' (2013)

===Singles=== *"Flowers" (1985), Mainman *"Shoreline" (2007), One Little Indian

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, Sandy}} [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:21st-century American women]] [[Category:American women singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Singer-songwriters from Massachusetts]] [[Category:People from Barnstable County, Massachusetts]]