Dave Dalton was a key figure in rock and roll history, co-founding the band Northern Lights with "Wee Willie" Williams, Roberta "Robbie" Merrill, and Donna Dicker. The group gained popularity in the American northeast and southern Canada, hosting their own radio and TV shows on WABI in Bangor, Maine. After Northern Lights disbanded, Dalton joined Williams and Merrill in Portsmouth, Virginia, where they performed as the Virginians on WCMS radio station.