Alton was born on December 25th 1908 in Elkmont and his brother Rabon was born on December 3rd 1926 in the same town. They grow in a farm where they learn old time fiddle and win a fiddle contest in 1930. However, the acoustic guitar is their favorite instrument. Yet in 1931, they contract with Columbia where they record « Kansas City Blues » / « Alabama Lullaby » (Columbia 15724). At the begining of 1933 they play at the Grand Ole Opry and record for the Bluebird label. After breaking with the Opry in September of 1938, they form a small band : Smiley O’Brien (guitar), Chuck Mandlin (fiddle) and Joe Zinkan (double bass). With their notoriety from the Opry, they can easily work for radio stations in Alabama, Carolina (North and South), in Virginia and mainly for WLM in Cincinnati, Ohio. After the war, the brothers obtain a program on Memphis’ WMC station. In the end of 1945, they come back to Cincinnati and record with Jethro Burns (guitar) and Louis Innes (double bass) Rabon’ splendid « Hillbilly Boogie » realeased in 1946 on King 527. On february 12th there’s a second session with Roy Starkey (double bass) and Wayne Rayney (harmonica) : « Freight Train Boogie » (King 570)and « Boogie Woogie Baby » (King 499 in 1947). In September of 1947, the trio record good pieces such as « Mobile Boogie » (King 680 in 1948), « Stop That Boogie » (King 784 in 1949). After that, the Delmore Brothers record a big hit in 1949 for Wayne Rayney : « Blues Stay Away From Me » (King 803), a classical song played later by The Johnny Burnette Trio, Gene Vincent and Wanda Jackson. The Delmore Brothers leave us an another standard : « Pan American Boogie » (King 826 in 1949) recorded on May 6th 1949 with Zeke Turner on guitar and Lonnie Glossom on the second harmonica. Ray Campi will record in 1973 this title. The Delmore record for King till the death of Rabon (4 december 1952). Alton will go to the Hillbilly Heaven 12 years later, on june 9th 1964. Influenced by the Blues and Hillbilly, the Delmore Brothers, kings of Hillbilly Boogie of the 40’s, were pionneers of Rockabilly.