Dalton Hesson made his singing debut with a rendition of “Folsom Prison Blues” at the North Star Community Picnic in Darke County when he was 6 years old. He took piano lessons for more than four years and his parents gave him a guitar when he was 12.
Delaney Moore, meanwhile, firmly believes she sang before she talked. She says her parents supported her musical interests from the start, with years of vocal training, and have always been her biggest fans as she sang at church, school events, and community theater.
Hesson grew up in Darke County, where he and his family are members of Darke Rural Electric Cooperative; Moore hails from Fairfield County, where she and her family are members of South Central Power Company.
The duo performs at various venues across the state. Gigs generally take place on Saturdays, but occasionally the weekend stretches to include two or even three performances.
Both joined Future Farmers of America at their respective high schools, and both attended the national FFA convention in 2022, where, as fate would have it, both entered the talent competition. Hesson strummed his guitar and sang his way into the top 15; Moore finished third.
Soon, they were Dalton & Delaney, performing at clubs and events with a mix of covers and original songs that span the musical spectrum.
“Growing up, we approached music from different angles,” Moore says. “I’m so glad Dalton came along. What we once did differently, we now do together.”
“We had to go all the way to Indianapolis to meet,” Hesson says with a smile. “I may write the songs, but Delaney brings them to life with her beautiful voice.”
The first few years after that fateful meeting have been busy with plenty besides music. Hesson attended Edison State College and then Franklin University and now works as a loan officer at a bank in Greenville. Moore is currently studying agricultural communications and public relations while working at a communications firm in Lancaster. In June, they got engaged.
In addition to balancing their careers, the duo performs at various venues across the state. Gigs generally take place on Saturdays, but occasionally the weekend stretches to include two or even three performances.
Hesson enjoys the challenge of writing original songs like “The Country Girl in Me,” which celebrates their involvement in agriculture and life in a rural area. Another of their originals, “Here’s to You,” often evokes a mix of emotions — and not only from the audience.
“I wrote it in the course of one night as a tribute to my cousin’s fiancé, who died in a farming accident,” he says. “Not all songs flow that easily.”
Moore, who also wants to try her hand at songwriting, is convinced music connects with people and helps them deal with challenges and uncertainties in life. She hopes their collaborative efforts will lead to professional recordings in the future.
It’s already led to a performance at one of the premier music events in the country. From the time he was young, Hesson says, he dreamed of performing at the annual Country Concert, which takes place in Fort Loramie, about 20 minutes from where he grew up, and draws nearly 80,000 fans over the course of a weekend.
That dream came true after the couple won a “Get the Gig” competition last year.
“I knew I wanted to play one of the stages out there, but I never thought that was possible,” he says. “We are so grateful for all the people who showed up and supported us to make performing at Country Concert everything we dreamed it would be and more.”
Moore was amazed at the size of the crowd, which included many relatives and friends. “Dalton’s parents rented a big party bus and showed up with 40 to 50 people on a Wednesday night,” she says. “It was so awesome.”
To learn more, visit www.daltondelaneymusic.com. New bookings are being added all the time, usually announced on the Dalton & Delaney Facebook page.
