Lacy J. Dalton (born Jill Lynne Byrem; October 13, 1946)[1] is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her gritty, powerful vocals, which People Magazine likened to a country equivalent of Bonnie Raitt.[2]
Lacy J. Dalton | |
|---|---|
 Dalton in 2005. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jill Lynne Byrem |
| Also known as | Jill Croston |
| Born | October 13, 1946 |
| Origin | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Harbor, Columbia, Universal, Capitol, Liberty, Shop Records, Song Dog |
| Website | Official website |
Dalton had a number of hits in the 1980s, including "Takin' It Easy", "Crazy Blue Eyes", and "16th Avenue". Though absent from the U.S. country charts since 1990, she still continues to record and perform, having most recently released three independently recorded albums: Wild Horse Crossing on Shop Records in 1999; The Last Wild Place on Song Dog Records in 2004; and her 2010 self-released Here's To Hank.[3]
When asked about her musical influences, she replied: "Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Janis Joplin, Robert Johnson, Karen Dalton, Fred Koller, Big Mama Thornton, Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Tammy Wynette and J. J. Cale."[4]
Personal life
editDalton has taken an interest in saving Nevada's wild horses after she found some of them roaming around Virginia City. In her "Mustang Messenger", Lacy's Let 'em Run Foundation newsletter she writes:
...the New Year will find me attempting to view the restoration of horse slaughter for human consumption in some sort of light that will keep my head from exploding. Our wonderful vet here said "at least they won't be going to Mexico as much, where slaughter methods are unspeakable ... I was moved to write a song which we'll soon share with you on YouTube; for now, here are the lyrics: “ODE TO SLAUGHTERHOUSE SUE AND THE BUTCHERIN’ CREW”[5][6][7]
What kind of cowgirl eats horses?
What kind of Rodeo Queen?...
What kind of cowboy eats horses?
When he’s spent his whole life raisin' beef...
For many years Dalton resided in the mountains of Santa Cruz, California, notably a retired Boy Scout Camp owned by Janice Papa in Ben Lomond, California
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Title | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Jill Croston | — | Harbor |
| 1980 | Lacy J. Dalton | 11 | Columbia |
| Hard Times | 18 | ||
| 1981 | Takin' It Easy | 12 | |
| 1982 | 16th Avenue | 23 | |
| 1983 | Dream Baby | 20 | |
| Greatest Hits | 63 | ||
| 1985 | Can't Run Away from Your Heart | 33 | |
| 1986 | Highway Diner | 32 | |
| 1987 | Blue Eyed Blues | — | |
| 1989 | Survivor | 31 | Universal |
| 1990 | Lacy J. | 26 | Capitol |
| 1991 | Crazy Love | — | |
| 1992 | Chains on the Wind | — | Liberty |
| 1993 | The Best of Lacy J. Dalton | — | |
| 1995 | Somethin' Special | — | Sony |
| 1998 | Pure Country | — | |
| 1999 | Wild Horse Crossing | — | Shop Records |
| 2000 | Anthology | — | Renaissance |
| 2001 | Country Classics | — | EMI |
| 2004 | The Last Wild Place | — | Song Dog |
| 2006 | The Last Wild Place Anthology | — | |
| 2010 | Here's To Hank | — | Lacy J Dalton |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1979 | "Crazy Blue Eyes" | 17 | — | Lacy J. Dalton |
| 1980 | "The Tennessee Waltz" | 18 | 43 | |
| "Losing Kind of Love" | 14 | 57 | ||
| "Hard Times" | 7 | 16 | Hard Times | |
| "Hillbilly Girl with the Blues" | 8 | 10 | ||
| 1981 | "Whisper" | 10 | 12 | |
| "Takin' It Easy" | 2 | 2 | Takin' It Easy | |
| "Everybody Makes Mistakes" | 5 | 28 | ||
| 1982 | "Slow Down"[A] | 13 | — | 16th Avenue |
| "16th Avenue" | 7 | 13 | ||
| 1983 | "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" | 9 | 10 | Dream Baby |
| "Windin' Down" | 54 | — | ||
| 1984 | "If That Ain't Love" | 15 | 15 | Can't Run Away from Your Heart |
| 1985 | "You Can't Run Away from Your Heart" | 20 | 20 | |
| "The Night Has a Heart of Its Own" | 58 | — | ||
| 1986 | "Don't Fall in Love with Me" | 43 | 46 | |
| "Working Class Man" | 16 | 19 | Highway Diner | |
| "This Ol' Town" | 33 | 35 | ||
| 1989 | "The Heart" | 13 | * | Survivor |
| "I'm a Survivor" | 57 | — | ||
| "Hard Luck Ace" | 38 | 75 | ||
| 1990 | "Black Coffee" | 15 | 19 | Lacy J. |
| "Where Did We Go Right" | —[B] | — | ||
| "Lonesome (As the Night Is Long)" | — | 71 | ||
| 1991 | "Forever in My Heart"[8] | — | — | Crazy Love |
| "Lightnin' Strikes a Good Man"[9] | — | — | ||
| "The Deal"[10] | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Bye Bye Love" (with Eddie Rabbitt) | — | 69 | Chains on the Wind |
| 2004 | "Slip Away" | — | — | The Last Wild Place |
| 2013 | "Next to Me" | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart * denotes unknown peak positions | ||||
Charted B-sides
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions | Original A-side single | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1982 | "Wild Turkey" | flip | 33 | "Everybody Makes Mistakes" |
Guest singles
edit| Year | Single | Artist | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1983 | "It's a Dirty Job" | Bobby Bare | 30 | — | Non-album single |
| 1985 | "Size Seven Round (Made of Gold)" | George Jones | 19 | 11 | Ladies' Choice |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Music videos
edit| Year | Single | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "I'm a Survivor" | Jim May/Clarke Gallivan |
| 1990 | "Black Coffee" | Michael Salomon |
| 1991 | "Lightnin’ Strikes A Good Man" | Deaton-Flanigen Productions |
Notes
edit- A ^ "Slow Down" also peaked at Number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
- B ^ "Where Did We Go Right?" did not chart on Hot Country Songs, but peaked at No. 7 on Hot Country Radio Breakouts.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Biography". Lacyjdalton.org. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Official Biography". Lacy J. Dalton Productions, LLC. Archived from the original on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Lacy J. Dalton - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Questions and answers Archived 2013-06-04 at the Wayback Machine, Lacy J Dalton Official Website, retrieved and quoted with permission on June 1, 2013
- ^ Lacy's Let 'em Run Foundation's newsletter Archived 2013-07-12 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved and quoted with permission on June 1, 2013
- ^ See also: "Lacy J. Dalton - Girls from Santa Cruz DVD". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2013-06-01. for more on the plight of the Comstock's Wild Horses.
- ^ An article from the Virginia City News Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine: (April 21, 2008) - mentions that legend Willie Nelson, with Ms. Dalton, and "a growing legion of country recording artists" have started a national radio campaign to save Nevada's wild horses that might be sold for slaughter.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. March 2, 1991.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. July 20, 1991.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. November 9, 1991.
- ^ "Hot Country Radio Breakouts" (PDF). Billboard. July 28, 1990.