John “Jack” Patrick Dalton

John “Jack” Patrick Dalton died on December 2, 2023, at the age of 79.

John, known to all as Jack, was born as the sixth child to Maurice Walter and Anne Marie (née Bresnahan) Dalton on February 22, 1944, in Wayne County, Michigan and later raised in Windsor, Ontario. As part of a large Irish Catholic family, Jack’s foundation was formed by his faith in God and the love of his family, but it was his music that gave him a passion for life.

Jack started playing music with his brothers when he was six years old performing the “banquet circuit” with their father who was known as “The Irish Tenor.” At age 17, he and his brothers, Wally and Dan, formed a folk group called The Dalton Boys, playing nightclubs throughout the Midwest and East Coast. The Dalton Boys also appeared on several television shows such as ABC’s Hootenanny, The Mike Douglas Show, and PM East hosted by Mike Wallace.

In the early to mid 1960s, Jack collaborated with his songwriting partner, Gary Montgomery, signing with Motown Records and recording original songs as the second incarnation of The Dalton Boys. Jack and Gary eventually moved to the West Coast and became staff writers for White Whale Records, Robbins Feist and Miller Music Publishing, and wrote for The Turtles, The Outsiders, Spiral Starecase, and Nino & April.

Jack and Gary then formed the psychedelic pop group Colours with Chuck Blackwell, Rob Edwards, and Carl Radle. They signed with Dot Records and  released their first single “Brother Lou’s Love Colony” in 1967“ followed by two full-length studio albums: Colours (‘68) and Atmosphere (‘69). Their single “Love Heals” topped at #9 on Southern California charts and #106 on the national Billboard charts. Their single “Bad Day At Black Rock” received praise for the intricate changing of time signatures and rhythms.

After the group disbanded, Jack returned to Detroit and started The Road Company with Jeff Parsons. The Road Company quickly became the largest jingle company in Detroit, with Jack writing, arranging, playing, and singing on most of the commercials for clients including the Detroit Red Wings hockey team of which Jack was a life-long fan.

In the early 1980s, Jack joined the Red Garter Band formed by the bandleader Doug Jacobs performing 250-300 one-night shows throughout Michigan annually. By the mid 1990s, Jack went solo performing for senior and memory care facilities across Michigan, Georgia, and Florida bringing to life the songs of the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett until he retired in 2020.

When he was not practicing, performing or recording music, Jack loved to talk on the phone, tinker with new inventions, restore boats, attend classical concerts with his daughter, and cook spaghetti feasts for friends and family at his beloved Erieau.

Jack is predeceased by his parents; sisters, Mary Anne Conway and Margaret Williams; and brothers, Daniel Dalton, Thomas Dalton, and Timothy Dalton. He is survived by his brothers, Walter (Ann) Dalton and Gerald (Judy) Dalton; his daughter, Heather (Lyman) Grover; his grandchildren, Emily (Andrew) Grover Cooke and Bradley Grover; as well as an extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends who all meant the world to him.

A celebration of life will be planned for summer 2024 in his favorite place, Erieau Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent in Jack’s name to Columbus Symphony Orchestra, PO Box 1499, Columbus GA 31902-1499 (www.csoga.org).