One of the most respected new artists in country music is headed to Salem to headline the 2023 Star-B-Q concert at the Salem Farmers Market, according to the city of Salem. Dalton Dover will become the latest up-and-coming recording artist to play the annual fall concert on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Southwest Virginia’s Travis Reigh will open the show.
Dover is just 23-year-old, but his path to country music radio and the various streaming services is no different than most. He first started singing in church and his first big award came in the fifth grade when he won a talent show performing Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”
His grandfather eventually introduced him country music and classic artists like Keith Whitley, Rhett Akins, Joe Diffie, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard and Steve Wariner. Enamored with the honesty and storytelling found in country music, Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes” was the first song Dover taught himself to play on guitar.
Despite his young age, the Universal Music Group Nashville artist has been called a “master country talent.” He credits current stars Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton with influencing and inspiring him to make great music.
You will get no argument on that from his wife, Faith, who was also his high school sweetheart. The couple still lives in Polk County, Georgia in small town of Rome that has a population of 1,200. They have lived there all their lives and hope to give their two young children the same experiences they enjoyed in a small town.
His debut hit “You Got a Small Town” drew critical acclaim from Billboard, “MusicRow, Country Now and Wide Open Country” and he was named a Spotify Hot Country “2022 Artist to Watch”. His other releases include “Damn Good Life” and “Night To Go.”
The Star-B-Q concerts have featured an amazing array of artists since 2007 including – Clint Black, Montgomery Gentry, Billy Currington, John Rich, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae, Bucky Covington, Jordan Davis, and Parker McCollum to mention a few.
-The Salem Times-Register
