James Dickson (January 17, 1931 - April 19, 2011) was born in Los Angeles, California, son of a diesel engineer in the United States Navy.
He eventually sold the rights of Lord Buckley's 1955 album Hipsters, Flipsters and Finger Poppin' Daddies, Knock Me Your Lobes to Elektra and it was in print for another 25 years.
[3][4] While working on the collaboration between Greenbriar Boys and Dian James, Dickson discovered the Dillards and with the help of Ralph Rinzler convinced Elektra Records that they were a good Bluegrass group.
[6] These records featured Glen Campbell on the twelve string guitar along with the Dillards as the backing band to make up the Folkswingers.
These records included traditionals as well as songs written by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Ma Rainey, Lead Belly, Merle Travis, A.P.
Rosenberg also notes that Dickson played an important role in the synthesis of folk and rock music.