Mason Dixon

Mason Dixon took shape in the 1980s as a country group carrying distinct rock edges, assembled by New York native Frank Gilligan and Texan Rick Henderson, who chose the name to honor their contrasting regional backgrounds. The pair first connected during college in the mid-1970s and began performing together across southern Texas. In 1979 former solo performer Jerry Dengler, a native of Odessa, Texas, came aboard and completed the trio. The musicians added several sidemen and tried to launch a tour, yet sparse bookings compelled them to release most of the extra players. Their independently issued single “Armadillo Country” drew the attention of promoter and producer Don Schafer, who placed the band on his Texas Records imprint. Beginning with a 1983 rendition of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” they notched several regional successes that also featured “I Never Had a Chance With You” and “Gettin’ Over You.” In 1985 the group issued the album The Spirit of Texas to coincide with the state’s sesquicentennial. Two years later Mason Dixon switched to the independent Premier Once and cut multiple singles under producer Dan Mitchell. Those recordings secured a contract with Capitol, resulting in the 1988 major-label release Exception to the Rule. Modest chart action followed from the singles “Dangerous Road” and “When Karen Comes Around,” yet Henderson departed in 1989 and was succeeded by Terry “Caz” Casburn. The follow-up album Reach for It arrived in 1990 but failed to achieve strong sales, after which the group eventually disbanded.