Sharon Dayton, author of “FRIDAY NITE”
“FRIDAY NITE” was written with a purpose. When author Sharon Dayton (Mr. that is) enlisted in the Army National Guard, he became exposed to the morals of the world where one barrack’s mate pimped for his sister, and others bragged of their sexual conquests after a weekend off base. Sharon thought of his two sisters and thought of what their lives could be….so when Young Women’s President , Bette Rentfro wrote requesting Sharon write a Road Show (his Army job was switchboard operator, 10:00 pm to 6:00 am), having an abundance of free daytime, he began. In the story, Cissy Smith, the 15 year old, is a wonderful, vulnerable heroine with a lot going for her—including a good responsible steady boyfriend, solid parents and an assortment of friends. She lives in small town America of the early 1950’s before Elvis and the Beattles. Her life becomes complicated when an unexpected cousin from the mountains arrives and requires entertainment and at the same time she has made conflicting dates with steady boyfriend Fred and bad boy Steve Green. She runs off with the bad boy on FRIDAY NITE and, exposed to seduction, falls into the lake where she can’t swim. After watching her struggle in the water and nearly drowning, he angrily fishes her out and drops her off in a public place in town where searching parents and old boyfriend find her still wet and disheveled. Resolution takes place to end the story.
Sharon’s sisters marry wisely. One becoming the mother of popular young movie star Stewart Peterson and the other becoming the wife of an LDS Apostle.
Sharon detested popular Hollywood movies which glorified immoral teen-age actors and dumbified their parents. He felt that young girls ought to have more warning and protection so they would make good choices and not mess up their lives and the lives of others.
Comin’ Home is the title of the album of country music written by Western Wyoming Composer Sharon R. Dayton (mister that is) together with piano arrangements by Russian born piano concert pianist, composer, arranger and teacher, Ludmila Gudnina, (better known as Mila) and orchestrator Brian Jensen. Sharon is also the lyricist for the songs.
Sharon is a native of Cokeville, WY, born in 1933 in Lincoln County on the Cottonwood Ranch. Exposed early to country living, he grew up doing ranch and dairy chores, going fishing on the nearby Bear River and helping to take care of his six younger brothers and sisters. He attended Cokeville Elementary and Cokeville High School participating in sports, music and FFA, becoming a champion livestock judge in Southwestern Wyoming and later at BYU in inter-collegiate competitions. Raised in a Mormon family he prepared for a mission for his church, serving for 30 months on the South island of New Zealand. Upon returning he began careers teaching vocational agriculture, establishing Wyoming boys ranch, outfitting and guiding for big game hunting and fishing and dairying. In 1979, his brother, Dr. Lynn Dayton partnered with him in establishing a purebred angus herd using all the modern technology to produce superior seedstock. Selecting herdsires from New York, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Texas, Kansas, Utah, and Oregon. Using artificial insemination, they gradually improved their livestock, even superovulating their best cows and implanting their seed to speed up the process of perfection in their herd. They held their own production sales, accepting bulls from other purebred ranches as well. During Sharon’s 50-year outfitting career, he conducted successful hunts for hundreds of clients pursing Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, shiras moose and antelope. During this period of ranching and hunting, he estimates that he rode horseback over 60,000 miles. Sharon volunteered and became a member of the US Army National Guard—qualifying as an expert rifleman and serving in the headquarters company First battle group assigned to a communications mos where he was when he wrote the concept which became the musical, “Friday Nite”. First performed in 1960, it was put in the trunk until 2008. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sharon served as president of two tri-state organizations, formed and was first president of the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, was vice president of the Area Resource Conservation and Development Program and was an active participant in local church activities including choir director.
Later, while serving as an LDS missionary at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, UT, he had the good fortune to meet and team up with Ludmila Gudnina, Russian concert Pianist, composer and arranger and partner with her and orchestrator Brian Jensen in creating the album, “Comin’ Home” along with it’s twin album, “Friday Nite”. In the album “Comin’ Home”, a listener might perceive a person coming home from afar to dwell once again in his mountain home, living the life of persons of his time. It introduces the voices of Utah Valley University music performance majors in solos, duets, gender groups, and chorus and in addition a few other random music friends. Another genuine Wyoming Cowboy, whose number of fans increases with the hearing of his voice, is heard in the song, “Jesus was a Country Boy”. He is also author and composer of “A Tribute to the Jesse” which will be understood by father of daughters enclosed to their care.
PLEASE NOTE THAT SEVERAL NUMBERS COMPOSED FOR THE “Friday Nite” album are also included in the album “Coming’ Home” where they fit very well.