b. Darrell Eubanks, 25th July 1937, Mansfield, Ohio, U.S.A.
d. 24th February 1970, New Grace Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
Darrell Banks is best remembered for his 1966 single release, 'Open The Door To Your Heart' b/w 'Our Love (Is In The Pocket)' (co-written by George Clinton), which has become a favourite on the Northern Soul scene since it's release.
Darrell later grew up in Buffalo in New York.
He was the illegitimate son of a 27-year-old Kentuckian and a 17-year-old teenager, (who left the newborn Darrell in the care of her parents).
darrell with his band / with his half sister, Lois
Darrell and his sister Lois used to attend the Shiloh Baptist Church in Mansfield, where Darrell used to sing in the choir.
On leaving high school, Darrell married a woman called Beverly Kay Simon.
The marriage was an interracial marriage, with the couple having had two children, Darrell Jr. and Bamby Lynn Banks.
The marriage failed during the mid-’60s, with the children remaining with their mother.
Darrell sang with two Buffalo based groups as a young man, who were the Daddy B Combo, and the Grand Prix.
open the door to your heart b/w our love (is in the pocket) - 1966
Honing his youthful vocal skills within the Gospel environment, Darrell took his career into a secular realm, signing with the Solid Hitbound Productions/Revilot Records label, who released 'Open The Door To Your Heart'.
'Open The Door To Your Heart' was co-penned by Darrell and the late Donnie Elbert (although, originally, Darrell was understood to be the sole author of the song, a claim later overturned in court).
The song peaked in the U.S. charts, at number 2 R&B and number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The follow up release to 'Open The Door To Your Heart', 'Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You' b/w 'Baby What'cha Got (For Me)' (a song originally recorded by Ike and Tina Turner), was also released in 1966.
That 45 reached number 34 R&B and number 55 on the pop charts.
here come the tears - 1967 / i'm the one who loves you - 1969
Darrell gigged regularly on the Midwestern Soul circuit, and performed on 'American Bandstand' as well as supporting Jackie Wilson during this period.
In 1967 he relocated to the Atlantic (Atco) imprint (releasing 'Here Come the Tears' b/w 'I've Got That Feelin' and 'Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me)' b/w 'Look into the Eyes of a Fool' in 1967).
darrell banks is here! 1967 / here to stay - 1969
A parent album was released for the label at the time, entitled 'Darrell Banks Is Here!'.
Darrell recorded for the Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion Records, releasing his last single for that label, 'I Wanna Go Home' b/w 'The Love of My Woman'.
He then relocated to the Stax/Volt label in 1969, who re-released his 1967 album on Volt Records.
'Just Because Your Love Is Gone' b/w 'I'm The One Who Loves You' and 'Beautiful Feeling' b/w 'No One Blinder (Than A Man Who Won't See)', were released as singles for the label in 1969.
Darrell was tragically killed, after being shot in the neck by an off duty policeman called Aaron Bullock, in Detroit in February 1970.
He was aiming a gun at the officer, who had been having an affair with his girlfriend, Marjorie Bozeman.
She had previously been trying to finish a relationship with Darrell.
Darrell died later in the New Grace Hospital in Detroit, following which the Banks family had a benefit evening at Watts Club Mozambique on Detroit’s West Side.
He was buried in an umarked grave, later rectified with the help of the soulfuldetroit.com website, who arranged for a memorial to be placed where Darrell was buried.
the lost soul - 1997 / early photo
In 1997, Revilot released a retrospective album entitled 'The Lost Soul'.
soulfuldetroit.com memorial
Albums:
Darrell Banks Is Here! (Atco Records 1967)
Here to Stay (Stax/Volt Records 1969)
The Lost Soul (Revilot Records 1997)
