One of the leading lights of progressive bluegrass in the 1960s, the Dillards played a major part in modernizing and popularizing the sound of bluegrass, and were also an underappreciated influence on country-rock. While many fans learned about the group from their regular appearances playing acoustically on The Andy Griffith Show, they were among the first traditional groups to electrify their sound, influencing the Byrds, Eagles, and Elton John, with whom they later toured. Widespread commercial success evaded them, but their pioneering late-'60s albums (particularly Wheatstraw Suite) received critical acclaim. A Dillards revival began in the late '80s, yielding three studio records. After the death of founding member Doug Dillard in 2012, his brother Rodney recorded a tribute to the Dillards legacy, released in 2020 as Old Road New Again.