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Brian "B-Dill" Dillard, age 32, was
born and raised in Upstate New York in the city
of Rochester, and brought up in a family full
of Bishops, Pastors, Ministers, and Deacons.
Since B's early childhood he was groomed and
prepped for ministry, and the Christian Life.
Brian being the baby of the family, with only
one older sister, was extremely well taken care
of by both parents (Pastor Jerome and Jeanie
Dillard). The spiritual climate in the Dillard
home generally prevented and protected
Brian from American media influences, until
he began sneaking to watch MTV music videos
in the 1980s, and listening to the radio. Brian
began singing and mimicking songs he'd heard
from artists of all genres, and began to write
his own songs around age 10. Into his early
teens, Brian realized his singing ability was
somewhat comparable to what he'd heard on radio
and television, but his shy character kept him
from singing out in front of others. Throughout
the rest of Brian's childhood, and up until
his graduation from high school, Brian was a
student of song in voice and lyric.
At age 18, after being introduced to alcohol,
drugs, and sex, Brian kicked-off a long spiritual
downward spiral that would affect his life forever.
His childhood friends became drug dealers, gang
members, and drug addicts. The next two years
of his life were consumed by drinking parties,
and club events that ended up in shoot-outs
and deaths. Brian decided to getaway from the
life he'd recently acquired by enlisting for
the military at age 20, and was off to take
on the world. While
stationed in San Diego California in the Marine
Corps, Brian began to slowly leak his musical
and vocal potential to close friends and associates.
While on the west coast, he also began to experiment
with using his musical gift to gain attention,
and material success. However, because of Brian's
inward battle with authority figures and the
strict marine corps guidelines, his return to
"Rottonchester" was sooner than expected.
Shortly after his return home, Brian began to
really see the battle within himself between
what he knew to be right and wrong. Sunday became
just another day as he sat at home watching
a game on the television, yet deep down feeling
convicted because he hadn't been to church in
months. At what Brian would call his lowest
point in life, he analyzed his being and saw
that he was basically dead, as with everyone
in his immediate circle. Until that one Sunday
morning in February of 1997, after a friend
invited him to church and he declined in a way
that would paint him as an atheist, Brian's
troubled soul could take no more torment, and
he gave in. On his knees in a cold studio apartment,
Brian felt the Lord call him in a way that he'd
never felt before, and this time Brian answered.
Since that time B has gained and maintained
a consistent understanding of Who God is, and
what God wants for his life. For the first time
he began to sing with purpose and anointing.
B's memories of rat and roach infested houses,
equip with only a table for drug bagging and
a bed for sleeping, would be replaced with images
of stadiums full of youth lifting their hands
and voices in praise to Jesus. Brian has decided
to dedicate not only his gifts and talents to
God and His Gospel, but most of all his life.
Brian's message in his music is that of an understanding
of the human condition, and through using stories
of triumph and victory, as well as confessions
of failure and shame, he aims to pull truth
and repentance from the depths of the heart
of the listener.
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