Mitch was the son of Bea and Gus Jayne. After a stint at the University of Missouri, he began teaching in one-room schools in Dent County, where he documented the use of the forgotten words and phrases of Elizabethan English spoken by his pupils.
Author, musician and storyteller, Mitch Jayne will best be remembered as a member of the Dillard's bluegrass band that appeared in several Andy Griffith episodes as The Darling family 1963-1966. Mitch played the upright bass and acted as the emcee for the Dillard's band appearances throughout southern California in the late 1960's. The Dillard's were among the first of the bluegrass genre to electrify their instruments. Their music would pioneer sounds for groups like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, New Grass Revival, The Byrds and many other groups who were influenced by their progressive sounds. September (2009) The Dillards, including Mitch, were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, and performed at the IBMA Award Show. Several tunes Mitch Jayne co-wrote with The Dillards are now considered Bluegrass classics. Dooley; There is a Time; The Old Home Place, and The Whole World Round.
Mitch authored four books, "Home Grown Stories & Home Fried Lies," "The Forest in the Wind," "Old Fish Hawk" and his most recent in 2007, "Fiddler's Ghost." He also had a weekly column published in Shannon County Wave, in his hometown of Eminence, Missouri, deep in the Ozark hills he adopted as his home. He hosted a radio show in Salem, MO at KSMO that attracted national attention for it's satire, including the "Snake and Tick Market Report".
Jayne had almost finished another novel prior to his death with only one chapter left. The book is titled "Glory Hole War," a story about Ozarkian saboteurs who take exception to a government plan to dam their spring. The book was in the last chapter when Mitch was diagnosed with cancer and a short two weeks passed away. He narrated the ending to his editor during those last two weeks of his life and the book will be released early next year.
In addition to his wife of 16 years, Diana Jayne, he is survived by a brother, Sears Jayne of Boston; and daughters Carole Jayne of Eminence, and Valerie Jayne of St. Charles, Missouri.
Author, musician and storyteller, Mitch Jayne will best be remembered as a member of the Dillard's bluegrass band that appeared in several Andy Griffith episodes as The Darling family 1963-1966. Mitch played the upright bass and acted as the emcee for the Dillard's band appearances throughout southern California in the late 1960's. The Dillard's were among the first of the bluegrass genre to electrify their instruments. Their music would pioneer sounds for groups like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, New Grass Revival, The Byrds and many other groups who were influenced by their progressive sounds. September (2009) The Dillards, including Mitch, were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, and performed at the IBMA Award Show. Several tunes Mitch Jayne co-wrote with The Dillards are now considered Bluegrass classics. Dooley; There is a Time; The Old Home Place, and The Whole World Round.
Mitch authored four books, "Home Grown Stories & Home Fried Lies," "The Forest in the Wind," "Old Fish Hawk" and his most recent in 2007, "Fiddler's Ghost." He also had a weekly column published in Shannon County Wave, in his hometown of Eminence, Missouri, deep in the Ozark hills he adopted as his home. He hosted a radio show in Salem, MO at KSMO that attracted national attention for it's satire, including the "Snake and Tick Market Report".
Jayne had almost finished another novel prior to his death with only one chapter left. The book is titled "Glory Hole War," a story about Ozarkian saboteurs who take exception to a government plan to dam their spring. The book was in the last chapter when Mitch was diagnosed with cancer and a short two weeks passed away. He narrated the ending to his editor during those last two weeks of his life and the book will be released early next year.
In addition to his wife of 16 years, Diana Jayne, he is survived by a brother, Sears Jayne of Boston; and daughters Carole Jayne of Eminence, and Valerie Jayne of St. Charles, Missouri.
Mitch was the son of Bea and Gus Jayne. After a stint at the University of Missouri, he began teaching in one-room schools in Dent County, where he documented the use of the forgotten words and phrases of Elizabethan English spoken by his pupils.
Author, musician and storyteller, Mitch Jayne will best be remembered as a member of the Dillard's bluegrass band that appeared in several Andy Griffith episodes as The Darling family 1963-1966. Mitch played the upright bass and acted as the emcee for the Dillard's band appearances throughout southern California in the late 1960's. The Dillard's were among the first of the bluegrass genre to electrify their instruments. Their music would pioneer sounds for groups like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, New Grass Revival, The Byrds and many other groups who were influenced by their progressive sounds. September (2009) The Dillards, including Mitch, were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, and performed at the IBMA Award Show. Several tunes Mitch Jayne co-wrote with The Dillards are now considered Bluegrass classics. Dooley; There is a Time; The Old Home Place, and The Whole World Round.
Mitch authored four books, "Home Grown Stories & Home Fried Lies," "The Forest in the Wind," "Old Fish Hawk" and his most recent in 2007, "Fiddler's Ghost." He also had a weekly column published in Shannon County Wave, in his hometown of Eminence, Missouri, deep in the Ozark hills he adopted as his home. He hosted a radio show in Salem, MO at KSMO that attracted national attention for it's satire, including the "Snake and Tick Market Report".
Jayne had almost finished another novel prior to his death with only one chapter left. The book is titled "Glory Hole War," a story about Ozarkian saboteurs who take exception to a government plan to dam their spring. The book was in the last chapter when Mitch was diagnosed with cancer and a short two weeks passed away. He narrated the ending to his editor during those last two weeks of his life and the book will be released early next year.
In addition to his wife of 16 years, Diana Jayne, he is survived by a brother, Sears Jayne of Boston; and daughters Carole Jayne of Eminence, and Valerie Jayne of St. Charles, Missouri.
Author, musician and storyteller, Mitch Jayne will best be remembered as a member of the Dillard's bluegrass band that appeared in several Andy Griffith episodes as The Darling family 1963-1966. Mitch played the upright bass and acted as the emcee for the Dillard's band appearances throughout southern California in the late 1960's. The Dillard's were among the first of the bluegrass genre to electrify their instruments. Their music would pioneer sounds for groups like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, New Grass Revival, The Byrds and many other groups who were influenced by their progressive sounds. September (2009) The Dillards, including Mitch, were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, and performed at the IBMA Award Show. Several tunes Mitch Jayne co-wrote with The Dillards are now considered Bluegrass classics. Dooley; There is a Time; The Old Home Place, and The Whole World Round.
Mitch authored four books, "Home Grown Stories & Home Fried Lies," "The Forest in the Wind," "Old Fish Hawk" and his most recent in 2007, "Fiddler's Ghost." He also had a weekly column published in Shannon County Wave, in his hometown of Eminence, Missouri, deep in the Ozark hills he adopted as his home. He hosted a radio show in Salem, MO at KSMO that attracted national attention for it's satire, including the "Snake and Tick Market Report".
Jayne had almost finished another novel prior to his death with only one chapter left. The book is titled "Glory Hole War," a story about Ozarkian saboteurs who take exception to a government plan to dam their spring. The book was in the last chapter when Mitch was diagnosed with cancer and a short two weeks passed away. He narrated the ending to his editor during those last two weeks of his life and the book will be released early next year.
In addition to his wife of 16 years, Diana Jayne, he is survived by a brother, Sears Jayne of Boston; and daughters Carole Jayne of Eminence, and Valerie Jayne of St. Charles, Missouri.
