Christopher Lloyd Darrow (July 30, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was an American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. He was considered to be a pioneer of

country rock Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...

music in the late-1960s and performed and recorded with numerous groups, including Kaleidoscope and the

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

Biography

Early life

Darrow was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of

Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. It is in the Pomona Valley, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 census it had a popul ...

, listening to Ritchie Valens and the Everly Brothers on the radio. He began playing ukulele, but purchased his first guitar at age 13. His father Paul had played clarinet with traditional jazz band The Mentor Street Maniacs. Attending

Pitzer College Pitzer College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. One of the Claremont Colleges, the college has a curricular emphasis on the social sciences, behavioral sciences, international programs, and media studies. Pitzer is k ...

, Darrow spent two years assisting folklorist

Guy Carawan Guy Hughes Carawan Jr. (July 28, 1927 – May 2, 2015) was an American folk music, folk musician and musicology, musicologist. He served as music director and song leader for the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tenn ...

, who taught American Folk Life Studies. Darrow's interest in folk and bluegrass music sparked the formation of his first band, the Reorganized Dry City Players in 1963, followed by the Mad Mountain Ramblers.

The Dry City Scat Band

In 1964, Darrow formed the bluegrass band The Dry City Scat Band with David Lindley, Richard Greene, Steve Cahill, and Pete Madlem. In 1964, the Scat Band performed regularly at

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

and at the Ash Grove in Hollywood. Darrow also attended Claremont graduate school, getting his master's degree in art. During this time, Darrow met fellow bluegrass artist Chris Hillman, and Hillman's transition to playing rock music with

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

had a profound effect on Darrow.

The Floggs and Kaleidoscope

Darrow's first rock band was the Floggs, which also included Roger Palos (bass), Bill Stamps (lead guitar), Tommy Salisbury (drums), and Hugh Kohler (keyboards). Darrow then joined Lindley in the psychedelic band Kaleidoscope, which also included Solomon Feldthouse and Max Buda. The band blended Middle Eastern, country, folk, blues and psychedelia, incorporating the Turkish oud and saz. Darrow, who composed and sang lead vocal on a number of songs, quit Kaleidoscope shortly after completion of ''Beacon From Mars''. In 1976, Kaleidoscope reunited to record the album ''When Scopes Collide'' and then, in 1991, ''Greetings From Kartoonistan... We Ain't Dead Yet''.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

In 1967, Darrow joined the

, replacing Bruce Kunkel, and recorded two albums with the band: ''Rare Junk'' and ''Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy''. As a part of the band, he appeared in the

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

musical '' Paint Your Wagon''.

The Corvettes

In 1969, Darrow and

Jeff Hanna Jeffrey R. Hanna (born July 11, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and performance musician, best known for his association with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His professional music career has spanned six decades. Early life Hanna was born in D ...

formed The Corvettes, releasing two singles produced by

Mike Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith or Mike Nesmith, (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series ''The Monkees'' (1966� ...

for Dot Records.

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

recruited the band to be her touring band. When Hanna left the Corvettes to return to the Dirt Band, he was replaced by Bernie Leadon.

Solo career

In 1972, Darrow released his first album ''Artist Proof'' on

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

. It was reissued with bonus tracks in 2012 by Drag City Records. Personnel included Mickey McGee (drums), Ed Black (pedal steel guitar), Arnie Moore (bass), Loren Newkirk (piano), John Ware (drums), and Claudia Linear and Jennifer Warnes (backing vocals). His next two albums ''Chris Darrow'' and ''Under My Own Disguise'' were released by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

. ''Chris Darrow'' was recorded with members of

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

, the

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...

Group, and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

’s band. After Darrow took Ben Harper under his wing, Harper recorded a cover of Darrow's song "Whipping Boy" as the lead single for his major label debut album. In the mid-'90s, Darrow recorded for the German label Taxim. In 2000, he released the two-CD set ''Coyote: Straight from the Heart'' which includes a 40-minute instrumental suite and 20 original songs.

Other work

Darrow played bass on Leonard Cohen's debut '' Songs of Leonard Cohen''. Outtakes of those sessions were later used in

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

’s film ''

McCabe and Mrs. Miller ''McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' is a 1971 American revisionist Western film directed by Robert Altman and starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie. The screenplay by Altman and Brian McKay is based on the 1959 novel ''McCabe'' by Edmund Naughton. Ma ...

''. Darrow provided fiddle and violin on

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

's ''

Sweet Baby James ''Sweet Baby James'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, released on February 1, 1970, by Warner Bros. Records. The album includes two of Taylor's earliest successful singles: " Fire and Rain", and " Country R ...

''. In 1973, Darrow and Bob Mosley of Moby Grape recorded three demos as the Darrow/Mosley Band. These were later released on ''Desert Rain'' on the Shagrat label. They were joined by

Frank Reckard Francis Laing "Frank" Reckard (born July 1, 1952) is an American guitarist. He was part of Emmylou Harris's Hot Band from 1978 to 1989, and supported many other musical acts as a studio musician. After the Hot Band disbanded in the 1990s, he had ...

(lead guitar), Loren Newkirk (keyboards) and Johnny Craviotto (drums).

Photography

Darrow took photographs since age 9, and shot album cover photographs for

Starr Parodi Starr Parodi (born in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer, pianist, conductor, arranger, music director and former president of The Alliance For Women Film Composers. Parodi has won multiple BMI most performed music awards, Key Art ...

, David Lindley and

Henry Kaiser Henry John Kaiser (May 9, 1882 – August 24, 1967) was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. Prior to World War II, Kaiser was involved in the construction industry; his company was one of ...

, Mojave, The Cache Valley Drifters, Swampdogs, and Los Chumps.

Death

Darrow died, aged 75, on January 15, 2020, of complications from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

Discography

Solo albums

* 1972: ''Artist Proof'' (

) reissued in 2012 by Drag City * 1973: ''Chris Darrow'' (

) reissued in 2009 by Everloving Records * 1974: ''Under My Own Disguise'' (United Artists) reissued in 2009 by Everloving * 1979: ''Fretless'' (

Pacific Arts The Pacific Arts Corporation, Inc. is a company formed by Michael Nesmith circa 1974 to manage and develop media projects. History Pacific Arts Corporation, Inc. began as Pacific Arts Productions, Inc. when incorporated on October 18, 1974, as ...

) * 1980: ''A Southern California Drive'' (Wild Bunch) * 1981: ''Eye of the Storm'' ( Takoma) with Max Buda * 1997: ''Coyote Straight from the Heart'' (Taxim) * 1998: ''Harem Girl'' (Taxim) * 2002: ''Slide on In'' (Taxim) * 2006: ''Wages of Sin'' (Taxim)

As a member of Kaleidoscope

* 1967: ''

Side Trips ''Side Trips'' is the 1967 debut studio album by American band Kaleidoscope. It was released in June 1967, on Epic Records BN 26304, and re-released on vinyl by Sundazed Records (2007). The album has a raw, non-limited instrumental mentality, for ...

'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

) * 1968: ''

A Beacon from Mars ''A Beacon from Mars'' is Kaleidoscope's second album. It was published in November 1967 by Epic Records along with the single "I Found Out" b/w "Rampè Rampè". At the time it was released it received good reviews, but like Kaleidoscope's other ...

'' (Epic) * 1977: ''When Scopes Collide'' (Pacific Arts) reissued in 2005 by Taxim * 1991: ''Greetings From Kartoonistan...'' (Gifthorse)

As a member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

* 1968: ''

Rare Junk ''Rare Junk'' is the third album from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, released in 1968. In an attempt to update their sound the band included electric instrumentation on the record, but it still was a commercial failure. Track listing #"Mournin' Blue ...

'' (

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

) * 1969 '' Alive!'' (Liberty) * 1970: '' Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy'' (Liberty)

As a member of the Darrow-Mosley Band

* 1973: ''Desert Rain'' (Shagrat) released 2010

As composer

* 1970:

Louie and the Lovers Louie and the Lovers was an American rock band based in Prunedale, California. History While still in high school, the group (then known as Country Fresh)

– ''Rise'' (Epic) – track 10, "If The Night" * 1970: Kaleidoscope – ''Bernice'' (Epic) – track 5, "Lulu Arfin Nanny" * 1994: Ben Harper – '' Welcome to the Cruel World'' (

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

) – track 2, "Whipping Boy" * 2014: Jo Jo Clark – ''New Hound in Town'' ( Fuel 2000) – track 9, "King of the Cowboys"; track 12, "Goin' Back To Texas" (both songs co-written with

Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was the American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed The Runaways in the 1970s. He has been ...

)

As producer

* 1972:

– ''The Telling Takes Me Home'' (Cur Non) * 1972: Maxfield Parrish – ''It's a Cinch to Give Legs to Old Hard-Boiled Eggs'' (Cur Non) * 1975: Toulouse Engelhardt – ''Toullusions'' (Briar) * 1983:

Super Heroines The Super Heroines were an American deathrock trio formed in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1980s. However, unlike other early deathrock bands such as Christian Death and 45 Grave, Super Heroines did not carry on a traditional goth so ...

– '' Souls That Save'' (Bemisbrain Records)

Also appeared on

* 1970:

John Stewart John Stewart may refer to: Business * John Aikman Stewart (1822–1926), American banker * John Killough Stewart (1867–1938), businessman and philanthropist in Queensland, Australia * John K. Stewart (1870–1916), American entrepreneur and inve ...

– '' Willard'' ( Capitol) * 1970:

– ''

'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

) * 1971:

Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...

– ''Joy to the World'' (Capitol) * 1971: John Stewart – ''

The Lonesome Picker Rides Again ''The Lonesome Picker Rides Again'' is the fourth album by the folk musician John Stewart, a former member of The Kingston Trio, released in 1971. The album contains Stewart's own recording of "Daydream Believer", a song he wrote for The Monkees ...

'' (Warner Bros.) * 1972: John Fahey and His Orchestra – '' Of Rivers and Religion' ( Reprise) * 1972: Marc McClure – ''Marc McClure'' (Capitol) * 1972: Morning – ''Struck Like Silver'' (Fantasy) * 1972: Odyssey – ''Odyssey'' (MoWest) * 1973: John Fahey and His Orchestra – '' After The Ball'' (Reprise) * 1973: Andy Goldmark – ''Andy Goldmark'' (Warner Bros.) * 1973: John Stewart – ''

Cannons in the Rain ''Cannons in the Rain'' is the sixth album by folk musician John Stewart, former member of The Kingston Trio. It is his first album on RCA Records. Track listing All compositions by John Stewart except where noted. Side one # "Durango" – 2:5 ...

'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

) * 1975: Baron Stewart – ''Bartering'' (United Artists) * 1976: Larry Hosford – ''Cross Words'' ( Shelter) * 1976: Robb Strandlund – ''Robb Strandlund'' (

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

) * 1977: Sammy Walker – ''Blue Ridge Mountain Skyline'' (Warner Bros.) * 1977:

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...

– '' Ear Candy'' (Capitol) * 1977:

Rank Strangers : ''Disambiguation note: This Australian group should not be confused with the Swedish group Rank Strangers, formed in the 60's, nor groups who later adopted the same name, including a Minneapolis-based indie-rock group, a Rhode Island bluegrass ...

– ''Rank Strangers'' (Pacific Arts) * 1978:

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy ...

– '' Living Room Suite'' (Elektra) * 1978: Dyan Diamond – ''In the Dark'' (

MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gene ...

) * 1980: The Packards – ''Pray for Surf'' (Surfside) * 1986: The Unforgiven – ''The Unforgiven'' ( Elektra) * 1987:

Divine Horsemen The Divine Horsemen were an American punk/roots band founded in 1983 by Chris D. (Desjardins), formerly of L.A. punk rock band the Flesh Eaters.SST) * 1997: Bill Ward – ''When the Bough Breaks'' (Purple Pyramid) * 2009: Tea – ''Dreams'' (Teajuana) * 2016:

Corky Carroll Corky Carroll (born September 29, 1947) is a professional American surfer and is considered a pioneer in the sport by becoming the first real professional surfer as well as being the first to make paid endorsements. Life and career Carroll sta ...

and the Piranha ( Darla)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Darrow, Chris 1944 births 2020 deaths American male guitarists American male singers Alternative rock guitarists People from Sioux Falls, South Dakota Songwriters from South Dakota Pitzer College alumni Country musicians from South Dakota American male songwriters 20th-century American musicians 21st-century American musicians