Dale Lay

Loyd Dale Lay (born on 5/27/1937 in Sardis, OK; died 11/16/2011 in Kingston, OK) Dale Lay joined the army on May 17, 1959 and was stationed in Fort Ord, California where he met and became fast friends with Bobbie Bare. They enjoyed playing music together in their spare time. After he was discharged from the Army, he met and married Margaret Young and lived in Kingston, OK for 50 years. From his early days, Dale had a burning love for country music, and his desire to pick and sing grew stronger every time he heard the Grand Ole Opry program on the radio. He dreamt of being on that stage someday. One of his biggest influences was Hank Williams. Throughout the years, his talent continued to flourish and he enjoyed entertaining audiences at dances and other gatherings. In 1994, his dream of being on the Grand Ole Opry stage came true when he made a special guest appearance with Jimmy Snow (son of Opry star Hank Snow.) As he stood before the WSM microphone on the Grand Ole Opry House stage, he sang one of his favorite Hank Williams songs, the inspirational, “I Saw The Light.” Dale had many recordings and performed with numerous stars including: Loretta Lynn, George Jones, The Wilburn Brothers, Little Jimmy Dickens, Cal Smith, Jack Green, Jeanne Seeley, David Houston, Bobby Bare, Ernest Tubb, Hank Thompson, Pake McEntire, Jody Miller, Bobby G Rice, Razzy Bailey, Farron Young, Tony Douglas, Mel Tillis and others. Later in his career, he welcomed the opportunity to appear in several movies including "Into the West," "Invincible," and "Soccer Mom."