When Scott
Billington of Rounder Records began looking outside of New Orleans for Louisiana talent,
one of the real gems he found was this master welder by day who was also
a choir director in his church, and a fine blues/soul singer in the
Lafayette, Louisiana music clubs scene at night. The story is that Dalton had a
couple low budget 45's on a restaurant jukebox and Billington came in
to eat and heard them. I think of him as the Johnny Adams of Lafayette. He has the same kind of rich, buttery sound and draws
material from similar sources. This was his first ever album and first
work with a real production team. I think you will find that he rose to
the occaision. If you don't like his opening version of 'Baby Read Me My
Rights' then I just don't know what to do with ya!" Dalton Reed attempted to keep the sweet sound of deep soul alive in the '90s. The Lafayette, LA, singer comes from a gospel background -- a prerequisite for success in the genre -- and cut his first single for his own little label in 1986.
When he was child, Reed sang gospel in church and played trumpet in his high-school marching band. Reed fell in love with R&B and soul as a teenager, prompting him to join a few local bands. Soon, he formed his own group, Dalton Reed and the Musical Journey Band. In a short while, the band was playing bars and clubs throughout Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas.
Reed founded his own record label, Sweet Daddy Records, in 1986, releasing his debut single, "Givin' On in to Love," that same year. Within a few years after the formation of Sweet Daddy, Reed and his brother Johnny formed another independent label, Reed Brothers Records." AMG
Louisiana Soul Man
In 1990, Bullseye Blues signed Reed and the label released his debut album, Louisiana Soul Man, the following year. Three years later, his second album, Willing & Able, appeared. When he wasn't recording, Reed toured, playing concerts throughout America.
Addendum While on tour in support of the second Rounder album Dalton was found dead in his hotel room prior to a gig in Minneapolis, he died of heart failure at only 40 years old.
