Today is the birthday of Terence Trent D'Arby, who was
born in 1962 in New York City, New York. D'Arby was one of the few vocalists in
the 1980s to attempt a revival of soulful, often bluesy vocal styles from
classics like Sam Cooke and Roberta Flack. The British-raised D'Arby studied
journalism before entering the American military, serving as a supply clerk in
Frankfurt before discovering Frankfurt's nightlife. He began performing with a
group called the Touch, and soon after he went AWOL. D'Arby made his solo debut
in 1987 with Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby,
a collection of pop-soul numbers including singles like "Wishing Well" and "If
You Let Me Stay." It was deemed brilliant by many critics, but its followups,
Terence Trent D'Arby's Neither Fish Nor Flesh and Terence Trent
D'Arby's Sympthony or Damn, failed to match his earier success. D'Arby
returned in 1995 with Terence Trent D'Arby's Vibrator.
Other
birthdays: Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Mike Love (Beach Boys), Ry Cooder, Sly
Stone (Sly & The Family Stone), Howard Scott (War), Ry Cooder, Dee Snyder
(Twisted Sister), Steve Coy (Dead Or Alive), Rockwell, Bret Michaels (Poison),
John Curley (Afghan Whigs) and Rob Tanico (Mr. Reality). -- Beth Winegarner