Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015)
was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer. He released two albums for
Giant Records
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
and charted six times on
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
.
Musical career
Signed to
Giant Records
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
in 1993, he released two albums (1994's ''
Daron Norwood
Daron Jay Norwood (September 30, 1965 – July 22, 2015) was an American country music singer. He released two albums for Giant Records and charted six times on Hot Country Songs.
Musical career
Signed to Giant Records in 1993, he released tw ...
'' and 1995's ''
Ready, Willing and Able'') for the label and charted six singles on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts. Two singles off his debut album, "
If It Wasn't For Her I Wouldn't Have You" and "
Cowboys Don't Cry
"Cowboys Don't Cry" is a song recorded by American country music artist Dude Mowrey. It was the only single from his 1991 debut album ''Honky Tonk''. Mowrey's version charted at number 65 on the Hot Country Songs chart that year. The song was writt ...
", both made the country Top 40.
The title track of his second album was later a Top 20 hit in 1996 for
Lari White
Lari Michele White Cannon (, ; May 13, 1965 – January 23, 2018) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her debut in 1988 after winning ''You Can Be a Star'', a televised talent competition ...
.
In late 1994, Norwood co-wrote and sang "Little Boy Lost" on the
BNA Records
BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, was a label group that shared ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, T ...
album ''
Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'', a tribute to
Keith Whitley
Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and 7 more after his death.
...
which featured a mix of original songs, covers of Whitley's material, and new compositions. Norwood also sang "Working Elf Blues" on the 1995 multi-artist album ''Giant Country Christmas, Volume 1''.
Personal life
On November 5, 1995, Norwood decided to retire because of his addiction to alcohol. He told the ''Lubbock-Avalanche Journal'' that during that time period, he consumed 20 to 25 shots of
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation since 1956.
Packaged in square bottles, Jack Daniel's "Black Label" T ...
a night.
Norwood also served as a motivational speaker. His program, called "Keep It Straight", was developed to warn children of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Daron married Suella McCarty on July 5, 2009. Together they had children Krista, Delaney, Roxy, and Daylan.
Norwood was found dead in his
Hereford, Texas
Hereford ( ) is a city in and county seat of Deaf Smith County, Texas, United States. It is 48 miles southwest of Amarillo. Its population was 15,370 at the 2010 census. It is the only incorporated locality named "Hereford" in the country.
Heref ...
, apartment by his landlord on the afternoon of July 22, 2015. The
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
reported he was last seen the previous night by friends. Hereford police spokesperson, Capt. Kirsten Williams, stated on July 23 that Norwood's body showed no signs of trauma and that investigators did not suspect foul play. Williams further stated that cause of death was still pending.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Other charted songs
Music videos
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood, Daron
1965 births
2015 deaths
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from Texas
Giant Records (Warner) artists
People from Tahoka, Texas
American motivational speakers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
People from Hereford, Texas
Country musicians from Texas
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers