Clarendon’s Dalton closes in on ‘X Factor’ crown
Clarendon-born Dalton Harris is now a red-hot favourite to win ‘The X Factor 2018’, and culture minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange is urging Jamaicans in the diaspora to keep voting for him. Dalton, who entered the semi-finals after delivering a powerful performance of Beyonce’s Listen last Saturday, has odds of 2/7 to win. “He’s an amazing talent, and really, he deserves to win,” Grange told the CENTRAL STAR. “I continue to encourage members of the diaspora to vote for him.”
Dalton, who won the Digicel Rising Stars competition in 2010, is a past student of the Edwin Allen High School. Joseph Jackson, the choir director at the school, said everyone at the institution is proud of the progress that he has been making.
“Seeing him win Rising Stars and then seeing him step into this competition, he is really dominating it, and the school feels proud,” he told the CENTRAL STAR.
GIFTED SINGER
Jackson said he recognised that Dalton was an exceptionally gifted singer when he joined the choir in grade seven. “As a student, I saw that he had the potential to excel when it comes on to singing, I really thought that he got that gift to lift him higher,” he said. “He was one of the students that gave me a lot of successes when it comes on to the choir, and he is actually my only student to give me a trophy at the national level in JCDC,” Jackson added.
On Monday, Dalton posted a big thankyou message on social media and said he is “working on what to do to make you all proud this weekend”.
“For every share, view, iTunes purchase, vote, kind word, everything, thank you so much. ... Will have a surprise for you guys soon this week,” he wrote.
Before his last performance, Dalton posted a photo with sprinting superstar Usain Bolt.
“You paved the way so dreamers like me can aspire to be GREAT. Now I am paving the way for those that will be after me. I am capable because you were capable,” the post said.
Following last Saturday’s performance, judge Simon Cowell said, “It’s just the best performance we’ve had on X Factor so far, what can I say?
“I would love to send that song to whoever wrote that, because it actually made me emotional, and Dalton, you are a great, great guy,” he added.