Jamaicans everywhere continue to celebrate the achievements of home boy singer Dalton Harris as he continues his progress to win the British TV talent show, the X-Factor. On Sunday evening when the results of Saturday (November 24) performances were announced Harris was voted as one of the three finalists advancing to the final live TV performance on Saturday, December 1. The winner will be announced on Sunday, December 2.
The 24-year-old Jamaican, who was born in Clarendon, advanced to the finals with Scarlett Lee and Anthony Russell. According to reports Harris was visibly relieved when his name was the first to be announced as a finalist.
In an interview with the show’s host Dermott O’Leary after the results were announced, Harris said, “It’s a dream come true and nothing stops you but yourself… I’m so grateful for the encouragement that you guys have given me, and I’m here.”
Harris’s popularity going into the finals can also be seen on the iTunes Top 100 charts, as two of the studio recordings of songs he has performed on the show are charting. Feeling Good, which he performed on November 10 was at number 34, and Listen, which he performed a week ago, has re-entered the chart and was at number 86 at press time yesterday.
Back at home in Jamaica, according to the Jamaica Observer newspaper, Harris’s mentor, record producer Donovan Germain was elated. German told the Observer, “I had no doubt that he could do it. We talk everyday, and I know how much he is driven, so I had no doubt from the beginning that he would put in the work in order to get out of this competition what he wants for himself. So, seeing him make it to the finals was just a fulfilment of what I know he set out to do.”
In 2010, emerged on the Jamaican music scene when he won Digicel Rising Stars at 16 years old.
