Darondo

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Darondo
Birth nameWilliam Daron Pulliam
Also known asDouble D Dynamite D
Born(1946-10-05)October 5, 1946
Berkeley, California, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 2013(2013-06-09) (aged 66)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
Labels

William Daron Pulliam (October 5, 1946 – June 9, 2013), who performed in the 1970s under the name Darondo, was an American soul singer from the San Francisco Bay Area.[3]

Life and career

Darondo was born in 1946 in Berkeley, California. As a child, Darondo began enjoying rhythm and blues after his mother purchased him a guitar.[4]

At the beginning of his career, Darondo met jazz pianist Al Tanner, who suggested the singer record something in the studio. That suggestion resulted in the single "I Want Your Love So Bad", which got Darondo noticed by Ray Dobard, the owner of record label Music City.[5] Darondo collaborated with Tanner on songs at Dobard's studio, releasing three records from 1972 to 1974.[4][6] One particular single, "Didn't I", ending up selling 35,000 copies and was played extensively on local radio.[5]

During this period, Darondo got the opportunity to be the

pimp, though he denied this claim.[5][6] According to Darondo, his stage name originated as a compliment from a waitress who was fond of his generous tipping habits.[8]

Towards the late 1970s, Darondo stepped away from music, partially due to being engaged in a financial dispute with Dobard and Music City.

speech pathologist.[4][5]

Despite being out of the music industry for decades, Darondo received renewed attention in recent years thanks to London disc jockey Gilles Peterson. Peterson played his 1973 single, "Didn't I" on his BBC Radio 1 program,[10] and included the song on a 2005 compilation album called Gilles Peterson Digs America.[9][11]

Recordings of Darondo are available from Luv N Haight, an imprint label of Ubiquity Records.

In media

In 2007, Darondo's song "Didn't I" was covered by

Masterpiece Mystery, as well as the tenth episode of the second season of the FXX comedy series Dave.[12] [13]
In 2024 "Didn't I" was used in Episode 5 of "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist" starring Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and Kevin Hart.

Personal life

In the 1980s, Darondo met his wife, Prem, in Fiji.[6] He has two daughters, Isis and Angel. They all live in Sacramento, California

Darondo died of heart failure in 2013 at the age of 66.[14]

Discography

References

  1. ^ Coulehan, Erin (June 13, 2013). "Darondo, San Francisco Soul Singer, Dead at 67". Rolling Stone.
  2. ^ "Darondo and Disco Gold: Unearthed Funk and the Birth of Disco | reviews, news & interviews | the Arts Desk".
  3. ^ Coulehan, Erin (2013-06-13). "Darondo, San Francisco Soul Singer, Dead at 67". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  4. ^ a b c d e Martins, Chris (2013-06-13). "Darondo, Cult-Adored San Francisco Soul Man, Dead at 67". Spin. Archived from the original on 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Chennault, Sam (2007-12-12). "Seventies funk icon Darondo talks limos, ladies, and his Bay Area legacy". SF Weekly. Archived from the original on 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  6. ^ a b c d e Hildebrand, Lee (2006-02-12). "Those in the know still love Darondo". SFGate. Archived from the original on 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  7. ^ Hildebrand, Lee (2013-06-18). "1970s soul singer 'Darondo' Pulliam dies". SFGate. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  8. ^ "WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . DARONDO: The soul man who went AWOL". Elsewhere by Graham Reid. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
  9. ^ a b Fawcett, Thomas (2008-03-14). "Spotlight: Darondo". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2015-10-07. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  10. ISSN 0261-3077
    . Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  11. ^ Murray, Noel (2005-11-30). "Various Artists: Gilles Peterson Digs America: Brownswood U.S.A." AV Club. Archived from the original on 2019-11-03. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  12. Masterpiece Mystery
  13. ^ Dave
  14. ^ "Soul icon Darondo dies at 67 - #AltSounds". January 18, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-01-18. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "Darondo | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
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