Dale and Grace

Dale & Grace
Company type	Vocal duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1963
Defunct	1965
Headquarters	United States
Products	Music recordings, singles, albums

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Dale and Grace, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

Dale & Grace was a vocal duo from the United States, composed of Dale Houston (April 23, 1940 – September 27, 2007) and Grace Broussard (born February 5, 1939). They secured two entries on the Billboard charts: the chart-topping gold-certified single "I'm Leaving It Up to You" in 1963 and "Stop and Think It Over," which climbed to No. 8 in 1964. The partnership dissolved in 1965 but reunited on several occasions for live performances. Their music exemplifies the Louisiana-Texas "Swamp Pop" genre.

Early years

Robert Dale Houston was born in Seminary, Mississippi, before relocating to Collins where his father served as a Christian minister. He began learning piano in sixth grade but primarily taught himself due to limited financial resources, honing his talents through church appearances.

By age 18, Houston had recorded regional successes such as "Lonely Man" under Rocko Records. In 1960, while performing in Baton Rouge, he caught the attention of record executive Sam Montel, who signed him to write exclusively for Montel Records. Houston created tracks including "Lonely Man" and "Bird with a Broken Wing."

Grace Broussard, native to Prairieville, Louisiana, was slightly older than Houston. She performed alongside her brother Van Broussard, a noted singer with releases on the Bayou Boogie label. In 1960, Grace and Van issued the single "Feel So Good" / "Young Girls" through Montel Records.

Forming the duo

In 1963, while Houston was working at a bar in Ferriday, Louisiana, near Natchez, Mississippi, Montel proposed pairing him with Grace Broussard. Both artists had been active in local clubs for several years.

Their initial meeting involved a four-hour rehearsal using Montel’s piano. When Houston played "I'm Leaving it Up to You," originally recorded in 1957 by African-American duo Don and Dewey, Montel—who had been napping nearby—was instantly energized and exclaimed: “Play that again! This is going to be a hit!” The track was recorded and initially released on Montel's Michelle label within the local market. As detailed in The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson, the song first gained traction at Houston’s local Top 40 station KNUZ, where it was unanimously selected as "pick hit of the week" by seven disc jockeys. Although Montel considered altering the violin part, he was ultimately convinced to retain it. The single received national distribution as Montel #921 through Philadelphia’s Jamie/Guyden Records after producer Huey Meaux facilitated the agreement.

Montel’s forecast proved correct when "I'm Leaving It Up to You" ascended to No. 1 on the U.S. charts for a two-week duration. Dale and Grace embarked on a tour with Louisiana artist Jay Chevalier. The song reached number one during the week President Kennedy was assassinated and also topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

In August 1964, the duo appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. During the fall of 1963, they toured with Clark’s Caravan of Stars alongside performers such as Brian Hyland and Bobby Vee. Notably, this group had greeted President Kennedy on Main Street in Dallas shortly before his assassination on Elm Street; they were informed of the event several hours later.

Dale and Grace released their first album in 1964 titled I'm Leaving It Up to You and 11 Other Hit Songs.

Dissolution

The partnership ended in 1965, influenced by The Beatles' escalating fame, interpersonal disagreements, Broussard's longing for home, and Houston's severe health issues. Following the split, Grace continued her musical career alongside her brother.

Passing of Dale Houston

On September 27, 2007, Houston passed away at the age of 67 due to heart failure at Wesley Medical Center located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. His memorial service included a musical homage performed by Troy Shondell, and he was laid to rest at Smyrna Cemetery in Collins, Mississippi.

Accolades

In 1995, Dale and Grace received recognition from both the Covington County Board of Supervisors and the Town of Seminary in Mississippi. Houston was honored with the Louisiana Living Legends Award by PBS in 2000 and was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame as well as the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne announced their induction into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame in 2007, celebrating artists with national or international prominence. They appeared at the Ferriday festival, a location significant as Houston’s high school town. Later that year, they were also enshrined in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Albums

1964 I'm Leaving It Up to You and 11 Other Hit Songs - Reached No. 109 on U.S. Billboard charts

Singles

1963 "I'm Leaving It Up to You" - Achieved No. 1 on U.S. Billboard for two consecutive weeks
1964 "Stop and Think It Over" - Peaked at No. 8 on U.S. Billboard
1964 "The Loneliest Night" - Reached No. 65 on U.S. Billboard
1964 "Darling It's Wonderful" - Positioned at No. 114 on U.S. Billboard
1964 "What's Happening to Me" - Ranked No. 91 on U.S. Cash Box
1965 "Cool Water" - Charted at No. 123 on U.S. Cash Box

Sources

Shane K. Bernard, Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996),

External links