Friday 1 January 2021

Bill Darnel born 1 January 1920


 Bill Darnel (aka Darnell) (January 1st, 1920 -  April, 28, 1976) was one of the busiest session singers whose recordings span from the late-1930's to the late 50’s, yet hardly any mention of him on the internet. 

A native of Lorain, Ohio, Bill Darnell worked as a grocery store butcher before becoming a professional singer in the late 1930s, when he worked with alto saxophonist and bandleader, Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra. 

He recorded with pianist Edgar Hayes, in 1937 and 1938, cornet player Red Nichols in 1938 and saxophonist Bob Chester in 1940.  Unfortunately, he received his draft notice in March 1941, and he was off to the army. Darnell received a medical discharge in late 1944 and quickly tried to get back on his feet again in the music business, recording with Jimmy Lunceford’s band for Decca in January 1945. In 1948, he spent time with Kay Kyser’s orchestra but soon went back to being a single again, recording on the Abbey label later that year. His Abbey singles featured organ accompaniment. That year he also began spelling his last name “Darnel,” with only one “l.”

Luck began to change for Darnel in 1949 when he signed with Coral in what was his first term contract with any recording company. He remained with Coral into 1951, selling records and gaining fans but never achieving a hit. In late 1951, he moved to Decca, where he had his biggest successes in 1952, with “Lonely Wine” selling 250,000 copies and “Tonight, Love” 350,000.


                              

After leaving Decca / Coral in 1953 he signed for the Vik & "X" labels which were subsidiaries of RCA. He recorded two E.P.’s for the Vik label in 1954 which were issued as an album in 1955 on the “X” label.

In 1955, the spelling of Darnel’s last name began to vary between one “l” and two. By the late 1950s, “Darnell” was again the standard spelling. In late 1955, he signed with Rex, another new label, founded by former bandleader Joe Marsala, where he was again slated to record the first release. In 1956, he recorded on the London label, and in 1957 he signed with Jubilee, where by 1958 he had also assumed the role of sales chief for the label’s parent organization, Jay-Gee Record Company, owned by another former bandleader, Jerry Blaine.

Darnell recorded on the Paris label in 1959. In 1960, he partnered with Sy Stewart to form a personnel management firm and a music publishing business, but by 1963 he was back singing again. In 1967, Darnell became head of national promotions for the Bang and Shout record company, leaving in mid-1968 for the same job at Diamond Records. 


In 1970, he headed promotion for All Platinum and Stang, where he remained until at least 1973. He was director of special projects for TK Records in April 1976 when he tragically lost his life, drowning off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico. Caught in the undertow while swimming, he was dragged too far away from shore to swim back.

(Sources Band Chiprs & AllMusic) (other sources gives birthday as 10th and 20th  June)

11 comments:

boppinbob said...


Well music lovers, other than Bill’s only 10 inch album from the 1950’s, there are only a few tracks sparsely scattered on various compilations. I had nothing at all of his in my library so without further ado I scoured the far corners of the web and found a substantial amount of recordings. So here is my labour of love for most of this New Years Day. Please note some are from various CD’s and are of good quality. The others are transferred from records resulting in some surface noise and different sound quality. All are variable bit rate. Possibly this unique compilation which covers three decades of some hard to find Bill Darnel recordings is a first of its kind.
If anyone has any more recordings to add then please do

For “ Bill Darnel – Sings For You” go here:

https://workupload.com/file/B5SMmhf2CYb

CD1 1937 – 1949

01) Edgar Hayes - Love Me or Leave Me (09-07-37)
02) Edgar Hayes Quintet - So Rare (1937)
03) Edgar Hayes - Old King Cole (10-11-37)
04) Edgar Hayes - Shindig (10-11-37)
05) Edgar Hayes - Let-'s Love (10-11-37)
06) Edgar Hayes - I Know Now (10-11-37)
07) Edgar Hayes - When You and I Were Young, Maggie (10-11-37)
08) Red Nicholls - Our Love (1939)
09) Red Nicholls - You're So Desirable (1939)
10) Red Nicholls - I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak (1939)
11) Red Nichols & His Orchestra - Tears From My Inkwell (1939)
12) Red Nichols and His Band - Poor Loulie Jean (1939)
13) Red Nicholls - It's Way Past My Dreaming Time (1939)
14) Red nicholls - You're The Greatest Discovery (1939)
15) Red Nicholls - Poor Butterfly (1939)
16) Bob Chester - Till the Lights of London Shine Again (1940)
17) Bob Chester - Waterloo Bridge (1941)
18) Bob Chester And His Orchestra - You-'re Dangerous (1941)
19) Bob Chester And His Orchestra - I-'m in a Lovable Mood Tonight (1941)
20) Bob Chester And His Orchestra - Dolores (1941)
21) Bob Chester - you Lucky people You (1941)
22) Jimmie Lunceford - I'm In A Jam With Baby (12-27-44)
23) Bill Darnel - So Much (1949)
24) Bill Darnel - Sleepin' (1949)
25) Bill Darnel - Hot Cake, Hominy and Sassafras Tea (1949)


boppinbob said...

CD2 1949 - 1959

01) Bill Darnel - Everybody Loves My Baby (1949)
02) Bill Darnel - Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy (1949)
03) Bill Darnel - Sugarfoot Rag (1949)
04) Bill Darnel - The Cry of the Wild Goose (1950)
05) Bill Darnel - Trouble Ain't Nothin' But the Blues (1950)
06) Bill Darnel - River of Smoke (1950)
07) Bill Darnel - I Had Trouble with You Before (1950)
08) Bill Darnel - Gone Fishin (1950)
09) Bill Darnel - M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I (1950)
10) Bill Darnel - Once There Lived a Fool (1951)
11) Bill Darnel - Lovesick Blues (1951)
12) Bill Darnel & The Pinetoppers - (Put On Your Red Silken Stockins) Pretty Babe (1951)
13) Bill Darnel - And Whose Little Girl Are You (1951)
14) Bill Darnel - Alarm Clock Boogie (1951)
15) Bill Darnel - You Blew Out the Flame (In My Heart) (1951)
16) Bill Darnel - Lonely Wine (1952)
17) Bill Darnel - The Blacksmith Blues (1952)
18) Bill Darnell - Alone and Forsaken (1952)
19) Bill Darnel - I Miss You So (1952)
20) Bill Darnel -Why Do I Cry (1952)
21) Bill Darnel - Come To Me (1952)
22) Bill Darnel - Tonight, Love (1952)
23) Bill Darnel - I Would If I Could But I Can't (1954)
24) Bill Darnel - We Wanna See Santa Do the Mambo (1954)
25) Bill Darnel - Rock And Roll Baby (1955)
26) Bill Darnell - Guilty Lips (1956)
27) Bill Darnell - Passion flower. (1959)

Eric said...

Thank you again

Jacdaw said...

Thanks Boppinbob.

Aussie said...

hi nice thank you for - Bill Darnel - thank you from Aussie

rntcj said...

Hi!

Thanx for this collection. A 'new" artist here = "new" hears here.

Cheers!
Ciao! For now.
rntcj

Hit Parade said...

Bob,
Thank you for all the music all these years.
Are there links for CDs 1 and 2?

boppinbob said...

Hell HP, Yes...the link for both albums is above the CD1 1937-1949 playlist.

Hitparade said...

Bob,
Thank you or all the music all these years, Please check your Bill Darnel biography sources for a death date. If I knew your sources I would do it myself. Thanks again.

Hitparade said...

Sorry to bother you; It looks like Bill Darnell passed away on April 28, 1976.

boppinbob said...

Thanks HP, I have found more information @ BandChirps including the date of his death and have amended the blog accordingly. Regards, Bob