Lacy J. Dalton (born Jill Lynne Byrem on October 13, 1946 in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania), is an American alt-country singer and songwriter with a career that has spanned many decades and touched the hearts of millions of music fans. Listen to a Lacy J Dalton album for yourself, and feel the authenticity in her delivery.
In 1979 Lacy was awarded the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist of the Year. Then in 1980, she signed by Columbia Records and quickly rose to national prominence with Crazy Blue Eyes, which raced to #7 on the Billboard Country Charts. She also brought home numerous Grammy nominations and 3 prestigious, back to back (1979, 1980, 1981) Bay Area Music Awards for Best Country-Folk Recordings. Lacy's collaboration with Willie Nelson on his platinum Half Nelson CD was a high spot for her a s she was the only woman featured on that recording, and was awarded a couple of Gold Records for it. She also received a Gold Record from Hank Williams Jr. in 1985 for her support performances throughout his Five-0 Tour. She toured for years with the likes of the Oakridge Boys, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams Jr. to name just a few.
Her hit records are legendary million-airplay cuts: 16th Avenue (the Anthem for Nashville songwriters was voted one of Country’s Top 100 Songs ever by Billboard Magazine), Crazy Blue Eyes, Hillbilly Girl with the Blues, Takin’ It Easy, Everybody Makes Mistakes, and the worldwide hit Black Coffee. In March 2017 Lacy J Dalton was inducted into the North American Country Music Association International Hall of Fame, and in 2018 she was nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her 2006 album Last Wild Place Anthology went #1 on the World Independent Chart, and a year later went #1 on the American Western Music Chart. In 2019 that same album was awarded the Pete Huttlinger award for Music Excellence by Strictly Country Magazine and the Spirit Awards.
In 2019 Lacy released a 4 song EP titled Scarecrow. When hearing the title song, her good friend Reverend Barbara Ann Fletcher remarked “that song makes you a whole new you, and it makes me a whole new me.” And that’s exactly the response Lacy was hoping for.
In addition to her musical career, Lacy has been involved in various service projects through several charitable organizations – namely, the Let ‘em Run Foundation which she co-founded, William James Associates Arts in Corrections, and Rotary International.
