|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDALTON, Lacy J.(b Jill Byrem, 13 October 1946, Bloomsburg PA) Country/rock singer, songwriter. Began as folk/protest singer in Midwest late '60s; moved to Santa Cruz CA early '70s; lead singer with psychedelic band Office, married band's manager John Croston (d '73 after swimming-pool accident). Made album Jill Croston '78 for Harbor Records, demo tape reached Billy Sherrill in Nashville, who signed her to Columbia '79. Gravelly, bluesy voice, self-penned songs won big following. Hit singles 'Crazy Blue Eyes' '79; 'Tennessee Waltz', 'Hard Times' '80, 'Takin' It Easy' '81, '16th Avenue' and 'Dream Baby' '83. Albums included Lacy J. Dalton '79, four others named after hit tracks, as country LPs so often are; she didn't record in '84 due to disagreement with the label over the producer; came back with Can't Run Away From Your Heart '85. Jonathan Cain of Journey had written 'Can't See Me Without You' for her but it was too close to rock to be included in that album; Cain then asked her to sing on a demo of a song he'd written for Heart and her agent took the demo to CBS in Nashville, who ordered an LP in the same vein: Highway Diner '86 was populist rock like that of Bruce Springsteen, including 'Working Class Man' (no. 16 hit) and the earlier Cain song. On stage she sang Lyle Lovett's 'God Will', about a lover who refuses to forgive repeated indignities ('God will, but I won't'), but the publisher refused permission to record it. She moved on to the ill-fated Universal label for Survivor '89, moved to Capitol for three more, then was dropped from the label. She continued to tour with her band, the Dalton Gang. |