Jesse Dayton
With Diablogato
Sunday June 17th
Doors: 6pm
No Cover
Jesse Dayton's story reads like a who’s who of American music. Want to talk about
being "born into it"? Imagine a 15-year-old kid born and raised on the Texas/
Louisiana border, playing his Telecaster guitar in all-black zydeco bands in Lake
Charles, Louisiana; honky-tonk country bands with members left over from the
Starday Records’ George Jones days around his hometown of Beaumont, Texas.
Dayton was underage and sneaking into night clubs to play shows ’til 3am with
east Texas blues legend Little Mack Minor (cousin of Lightning Hopkins and Mance
Liscomb), until eventually he was spotted by Gulf Coast hit producer Huey P.
Meaux. Mr. Meaux approached Dayton and asked him to record with zydeco star
Rockin Dopsey at Houston's hit factory, Sugarhill Studios. And the story just keeps
getting better.
As he enters early adulthood, Dayton begins packing clubs and theaters on the
Texas scene with his trio in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. He records his first solo
record titled "Raisin' Cain" for Justice Records with featured guest luminaries,
Doug Sahm, Flaco Jiminez and Johnny Gimble that hits Number 1 on the
Americana Radio Charts. Jesse tours around the world opening for punk legends
Social Distortion, The Supersuckers and X. Jesse is then asked to help
arrange and play guitar on The Supersuckers biggest selling record, "Must've Been
High.” While in Nashville doing press, Waylon Jennings spots him on Nashville TV
show ‘Crook & Chase’ and calls Jesse out of the blue at his hotel to play lead
guitar on his record, "Right for The Time." Dayton blows off his flight back to
Austin, heads to Woodland Studios where Waylon has sent a car for
him, and knocks on the door. Johnny Cash answers it and says, "we've been
waiting for you." This leads to Dayton recording guitars on records and film with
Cash, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Johnny Bush and Glen Campbell.