Over
thirty years as performing musician
and songwriter, Darby
Darl paid some dues.
Darby sprouted from the heart of grassroots middle America - rural Ohio, not far from where rock legend Rick Derringer found his own start. Like Rick, Darby played at school parties, on impromptu stages set up at the local National Guard Armory or VFW. In that environment, Darby learned to play acoustic guitar, and practiced to write songs, based on songs he heard on radio and on albums he and his friends could collect. Later, like Bob Dylan, Darby's guitar went electic. And he put his hand to learn the piano too, where he tested new twists to construction of his tunes, and studied better use of lyrics. At that important point in his life, Darby relocated to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. A large metro-city.
Upon his arrival to Texas, Darby's influences were widened by a variety of musical flavors. At that time, guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn and brother Jimmy played local nightclubs in Dallas. Same for famed rockers ZZ-Top, ripe to break out to a national audience. And other performers too, a string of talented Texas musicians, the likes of Willie Nelson, Buggs Henderson, Trout Fishing In America, Stevie Earle, and more. All that music bubbled over from the dance halls, road houses, American Legions, and honky-tonk bars that generously dotted the Texas landscape.
Amidst that musical brew, Darby met and spent time performing in the 1970's with Fort Worth guitar bluesman Bobby Boures, Seattle guitarist Stephen Benoit, and Chicago-born drummer Bill Casey, in rock-pretty-boy band "RAM." The boys saw discs released after spending time in the studio with Grammy award winning Producer Phil York, who helped 'fatten' up select recordings.
Respected musician, and now deceased, Dallas jazz-rock notable Randy Keene, often performed live-events and recorded with "Ram" during those years. Darby continued his partnership with Keene, Casey and Boures into the 1980's, and created a second rock quartet, sometimes trio, called "The Secrets." And then later, together still, three of the boys were in a third group appropriately named the "WOLF KINGS," after the band's long history of dedicated female fans. A band whose audience for a single show may sometimes number into the thousands.
Two decades later, Darby Darl, still writing, still performing, has garnered a loyal fan-base. Listeners pay close attention to his stories in song, hooked by the quirky, ironic wit and clever insight of the songwriter.
