The daughter of an Air Force career man, Elizabeth spent her early years in several different states before settling in Rapid City, South Dakota. Early on, Elizabeth felt different from the kids around her, but never knew why.  Then, at the age of ten, her whole world changed one night as she was watching tv. A new show was premiering that Saturday night in the early 80's—a variety show called “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.”

" AS SOON AS IT CAME ON, THAT VERY MOMENT, I KNEW THAT MUSIC---COUNTRY MUSIC---WAS WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO WITH MY LIFE. IT WAS WHY I HAD FELT SO DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN MY AGE…I NEVER DID RELATE TO THE MUSIC MY FRIENDS WHERE LISTENING TO.  I WAS AWAKENED  EVERY MORNING BY MY MOTHER'S STEREO BLARING EVERYTHING FROM ABBA TO THE ROLLING STONES. "

From that Saturday night on, Elizabeth’s dreams grew. She wrote her first song a few weeks after that. She spent several hours singing along to a pile of her mother’s 45’s.

" WE HAD THIS REALLY LONG, RECTANGULAR COFFEE TABLE THAT MADE A PERFECT STAGE. I'D STACK AS MANY 45'S ON THE RECORD PLAYER AS I COULD, GRAB A MIC AND PERFORM FOR HOURS."

During this time, Elizabeth’s parents divorced, and the music helped her deal with the events and changes that followed---

"MUSIC IS TRULY A WONDERFUL GIFT. IT HEALS THE SOUL AND LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE IN THE WORLD."

She continued to pursue her dreams through high school, joining chorus and the drama club to learn as much as she could about both sides of the stage.

"I HAD THE GREATEST DRAMA TEACHER. SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE TEACHING AND SUPPORTING ME. SADLY, I DIDN'T RECEIVE THE SAME FROM MY CHORUS DIRECTOR. I WASN'T ONE OF HIS FAVORITES SO HE DIDN'T ENCOURAGE ME---IN FACT HE DID JUST THE OPPOSITE. I DIDN'T LEARN MUSIC FROM HIM, BUT I DID LEARN SOME VERY VALUABLE THINGS. I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO PROVE I WAS JUST AS GOOD AS HIS FAVORITES, AND THAT TAUGHT ME HOW TO DEAL WITH REJECTION AND FIGHT FOR WHAT I WANT.  I LOVED MUSIC AND BELIEVED IN MY DREAMS, SO I STUCK IT OUT. MY FINAL YEAR, I WAS IN THE SCHOOL MUSICAL, AND AFTER THE FIRST SHOW HE CAME BACK STAGE AND TOLD ME HOW MY PERFORMANCE WAS THE BEST THAT HE AND HIS THEATER FRIENDS HAD EVER SEEN---AND THEN HE TOLD ME HE WAS PROUD OF ME, AND HUGGED ME! IT TOOK YEARS, BUT I HAD BEAT THE REJECTION!" 

Elizabeth continued to write her music and poetry, but the next several years would take her far from her dreams.  Her family moved to a small, rural town in eastern Alabama immediately after she graduated high school, and life became a battle to be comfortable in her own skin and keep her family together.  She made several attempts to move to Nashville during this time, but family ties kept her close.  Finally, eight years later, she made the move…

"I MOVED TO A TOWN JUST OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE, BUT IT STILL SEEMED SO FAR AWAY. I HAD NO CLUE WHERE TO START. IT'S BEEN A VERY SLOW PROCESS, BUT I'VE FINALLY FOUND SOME DIRECTION. IT'S STILL SLOW, BABY STEPS, BUT I'M GETTING THERE. GOD WATCHES OUT FOR ME AND ALWAYS REMINDS ME THAT MUSIC IS THE PATH I NEED TO BE WALKING. THE BEST REMINDER OF THIS WAS THE LIVING ANGEL HE PLACED IN MY LIFE. I BELIEVE GOD PUTS PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH TO HELP PUT US BACK ON COURSE WHEN WE GET A BIT LOST. THEY MAY NOT DO THIS BY ACTUALLY SAYING "DO THIS, OR DO THAT.", BUT TEACH BY EXAMPLE---BY JUST BEING THEMSELVES AND DOING WHAT THEY DO. THAT ALONE ALLOWS US TO BELIEVE ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE, AND SHOWS US HOW TO GET THERE. MY ANGEL CONTINUES TO KEEP ME ON TRACK---THANKS CDJ."

Elizabeth also finds inspiration in female artists like Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.

 "THEY JUST HAVE A GREAT INNER STRENGTH AND MASSIVE TALENT. THEY WRITE, PLAY, PERFORM AND MANAGE THEIR WORK. I THINK I SEE A BIT OF MYSELF IN THEM,  AND THAT INSPIRES ME TO DO BETTER AND WORK HARDER."

While Elizabeth continues looking for her place in the music business, she works and lives outside of Nashville with her six dogs and four cats. 

"I HAVE A BIG HEART WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMALS AND KIDS.  ALL MY ANIMALS ARE RESCUES. I FINALLY HAD TO STOP TAKING THEM IN. I'M WAY OVER MY QUOTA, BUT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IS A WONDERFUL GIFT, JUST LIKE MUSIC!"

All content Copyright 2004 ©  | Elizabeth Dee Dalton | Noted Dreams Music