Born 1941 in Walla Walla Washington (one of the closest hospitals,) and raised with six brothers in Athena, Oregon (18 miles north of Pendleton,) the son of a preacher man, Daniel Moore, went to college in Eugene OR., for 3 years, then moved to Los Angeles to do music (1962.) Within two weeks he had a record deal, a lousy one (wrote his first song for it.) The year of 1963 was spent playing acoustic bass and singing backup with Jimmy Rogers, another north westerner; and opening for him as a member of the Fairmount Singers. In 1965 he began producing records and publishing songs. In 1967 The Everly Brothers recorded Daniel's song, "Deliver Me".

1970 he joined Joe Cocker's, Mad Dogs and Englishmen group and went on tour. Did an album for ABC Records as an artist, produced a bunch of records (T-Bone Burnett, Delbert McClinton, Sweathog) and began writing in earnest. In 1973 his composition, "Shambala" became a million+ seller hit for Three Dog Night. Then another hit single” My Maria" by his co-writer; B.W. St