Larry Darnell (born Leo Edward Donald, Jr.; December 17, 1928,
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
– July 3, 1983, Columbus)
was a successful American singer, who was instrumental in the formation of the
style of
R&B in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Biography
As an eleven-year-old Darnell achieved local fame as a gospel singer, and left home at 15 years of age to work as a dancer with a
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. road show,
the Brownskin Models.
In
he gained steady employment as a singer at the
Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to:
*Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana)
*Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas)
*Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical
{{disambiguation ...
.
In 1949, he was signed up by Fred Mendelsohn for the
Regal label in New Jersey.
His first two recordings, "I'll Get Along Somehow" and "For You My Love", both hit the R&B charts in November 1949, with "For You My Love", written by
Paul Gayten
Paul Leon Gayten (January 29, 1920 – March 26, 1991) was an American R&B pianist, songwriter, producer, and record company executive.
Career
Gayten was born in Kentwood, Louisiana, the nephew of blues pianist Little Brother Montgomery. In hi ...
, staying at the number 1 spot for eight weeks.
The follow-ups "I Love My Baby" and
Louis Prima
Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...
's "Oh Babe!" were also hits, and Darnell's powerful and passionate voice contributed to the development of a trend in popular music soon marketed nationwide as
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
. Darnell was the top selling R & B artist of 1950.
However, after Regal collapsed in 1951, his records became less successful. By now known as "Mr. Heart & Soul", he appeared in the 1955 movie ''
Harlem Rock & Roll Revue'', and spent the rest of the decade recording for various labels.
In 1969, he made his final recordings, for the Instant label in New Orleans.
Receding from professional activity, he continued to sing in church and at charitable events.
In April 1979, while en route to sing at a funeral in
Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...
, he was mugged by a gang, and received severe injuries. The doctors operating on him to save his life discovered he had
lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
, from which he died in 1983.
References
External links
Larry Darnell at IMdB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darnell, Larry
1928 births
1983 deaths
American rhythm and blues musicians
20th-century American musicians
Deaths from lung cancer
20th-century African-American musicians