Dickerson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Columbia.[2] He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991. He is known as an avid collector of vintage vinyl records.[3] As of 2025, Dickerson still lives in Los Angeles.
After playing in several local rockabilly bands as a teenager, Dickerson formed The Untamed Youth at age 17 in his hometown of Columbia.[2] The Untamed Youth have periodically reunited for live shows.[4] In 1991 Dickerson moved to Los Angeles and joined Dave Stuckey to form the Dave & Deke Combo, a partnership that yielded two albums and a 2005 reunion at major rockabilly festivals.[5] Joining the Ecco-Fonics in 1998, Dickerson toured, signed to HighTone Records and released three albums for the label.[6] In 1994 he formed a novelty "snack rock" band called The Go-Nuts with members of The Phantom Surfers and The Bomboras.[7][8] Dickerson’s most recent band venture is Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers.[9] He also performs and tours regularly as a solo artist, and has played with rockabilly legends such as Sonny Burgess, Scotty Moore and Duane Eddy.[10]
The Reverend Horton Heat has stated that, "Deke Dickerson is the best rockabilly guitarist in the world!"[11] In 2019 Dickerson won the Ameripolitan Music Award for Musician of the Year.[12] He has performed at The Country Music Hall of Fame.[13]
Dickerson partnered with Hallmark Guitars to produce the Deke Dickerson model guitar.[14] He owns a Ray Butts EchoSonic, serial number 24, a rare amplifier with built-in tape echo that used to belong to Scotty Moore.[15] In 2018, Dickerson composed the soundtrack for the film Action Point.[16][17] Dickerson also organizes an annual "Guitar Geek Festival" held in Anaheim, California, every January, during the NAMM Show.[18]
Dickerson writes a regular column in Guitar Player magazine, and feature articles in Vintage Guitar magazine and The Fretboard Journal.[19] He has also written for the punk culture website Please Kill Me.[20][21] Dickerson is the author of Sixteen Tons: The Merle Travis Story,[22] the first-ever full-length biography devoted to Country Music Hall of Fame member Merle Travis.[23][24][25] Dickerson has also had two books published by Voyageur Press, The Strat in the Attic[26] and The Strat in the Attic 2.[27] He also authored a guide to Los Angeles' rock n' roll history, titled Boss Angeles!: A Map and Guide to LA Rock 'n' Roll Landmarks 1955-1965.[28] Dickerson has also contributed liner notes to reissue projects for such labels as Capitol, RCA, Bear Family, and Sundazed.
