08/29/2024
Congratulations to band member from Standing Hampton Jon Douglas Dixon.
Congratulations to Jon Douglas ‘Doug’ Dixon for your induction into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association Hall of Fame and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award! Please, share this post with your family and friends and be sure to encourage them to purchase tickets to this year's Hall of Fame Induction events at: https://www.iowarocknroll.com/events
For over five decades, southern Iowa native Jon Douglas Dixon (Doug) has impacted the Iowa music scene and
beyond, working in multiple facets of the music industry.
Doug started playing piano at age 5, guitar at 12, and caught the rock ‘n’ roll bug when his first band, Road Shepherd & Co., won the Battle of the Bands in 1974 during his sophomore year in high school. They only played one gig. Another high school group, Conspiracy, followed, and by 1976, he had joined the established Ottumwa rock group Dark Horse.
In 1977, Dark Horse recorded Doug’s first song “Live By The Sword” at A & R Studio and toured as a cover band
across a three-state area. In 1979, he received his degree from Ottumwa Heights College and attended William
Penn as a music major. Concurrently, he worked as a studio engineer, synthesizer programmer, and session player at Iowa recording studios. In 1980, Dark Horse changed their name to Atlantis and expanded their footprint to a seven-state area. They were recording at Westminster Studio in Otho in anticipation of a record release but disbanded in early 1985 after nearly 1,000 gigs.
Doug soon landed a gig with Wausau, Wisconsin group Airkraft when their paths crossed at Westminster Studio. In 1985, Doug toured to support their second album which received regional airplay. Airkraft toured relentlessly across a 15-state area, performing over 1,000 shows. Their third album, “Airkraft,” was released in 1989 with significant writing contributions from Doug. It sold 68,000 copies.
Their big break came in 1991 when Curb Records signed the group to a four-album deal. 1991’s “In the Red” was distributed worldwide, as the group cultivated a following in the UK and Europe, with three singles receiving international exposure on hundreds of radio stations. Doug
co-wrote five of the 10 tracks including “Feed Me to the Fire,” theme for Australian Fox TV show “Fire Rescue.” He left the group in 1992 when they opted out of renewing
the record deal.
After moving back to his hometown in 1992, he opened his recording studio, Mind’s Ear Music, and has served as
engineer, producer, writer, and arranger for hundreds of Iowa artists; working as a jingle writer, voiceover artist, booking agent, sound contractor, and music instructor.
Notably, he has collaborated with Iowa artist Matthew Clay, co-writing four albums. He performed with Tom
Arnold & Rosanne Barr in The Alice Chalmers Experience, at Farm Aid VI in Ames. In 1994, he established the roots rock band The Bootrockets which released a CD of his songs, opened for national acts, and played over 300 gigs
until 2001.
In 2001, Doug enlisted with the classic rock band Standing Hampton as keyboardist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Since then, they have logged over 1,200 gigs and released an original CD, “Brace Yourself.” This year
marks their 25th year as a group. In 2021, he released a solo piano album of his original compositions titled
“Eighty Eight.”
Our Mission: Honoring achievements, educating youth and inspiring artists.
The Matousek and Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Lifetime
Achievement Award recipients have dedicated themselves to music in various capacities, whether as performers, teachers, promoters, writers, or in other ways, these inductees have made remarkable contributions to the Iowa music scene. They have a special connection to the state, either through their performances or by enriching the music culture in Iowa.
