My family moved from Los Angeles to San Antonio in 1951, when I was 13. My father was a minister and was sent there to lead a congregation. Three years later I heard Roy Hamilton’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” a song that has stayed with me ever since.
I didn’t want to move. I liked L.A., and it was certainly better than San Antonio, which was strictly segregated then. You had to go to the back of everything and only shop where you were supposed to—or else. I spent most of my time singing at my father’s church.
I first heard Hamilton’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on the local black radio station in 1954. His version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein song, from the Broadway show “Carousel,” went to No. 1 on the R&B chart and then crossed over to the pop chart. The record made him a star.
Hearing Hamilton’s smooth voice was a breath of fresh air. Rock ’n’ roll was not allowed in our home. My father called it “whirly music,” so I had to listen to it at my girlfriend’s house. But Hamilton was different—he was a black pop singer. His voice was smooth and strong, and, though it wasn’t seductive or anything, his spirit and conviction got to me.
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One of pop music’s most prolific backup vocalists, Love was onstage at last year’s Academy Awards helping to accept the documentary prize for “20 Feet From Stardom,” director Morgan Neville’s loving homage to the singers whose oft-unheralded work can transform a tune into an anthem. Neville had said his bit and had stepped aside to make room for his film’s subject.
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“And, as I always do, I just bowed my head and said, ‘Lord, give me something,'” recalled Love, who contributed to dozens of songs over the last half-century, including the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.” Then she looked up at the Oscars audience and tore into a fierce a cappella rendition of the gospel standard “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” (Click here to read the full article)
]]>Bette Midler calls Darlene Love “one of the greatest voices in all of pop music.” Though her new CD is called Introducing Darlene Love, it can be argued that Love, who first came to prominence with “He’s a Rebel” in 1962, needs no introduction. She appeared every December on David Letterman’s show to sing her classic song “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” She also memorably took to the Oscar stage when 20 Feet From Stardom won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Love took time between appearances at the Grammy Museum and her shows at Whisky A Go Go (September 18, 20) to talk about the new album, producer Steve Van Zandt, and the 30 years it took to make this record. (Click here to read the full article)
]]>For those benighted souls, as well as for diehard fans, “Introducing” offers an apt summation of Love’s talents. At 74, she has lost none of her talents and has never sounded more unsinkable.
To suit her vocal 10-gun salute, the album’s producer — none other than Steven Van Zandt — joined a host of star acolytes to write a stirring batch of songs for Love. Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Joan Jett, Jimmy Webb and the team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil all contributed substantial works. They’re in the grand style of early ’60s pop, but each has its own life.
Webb outdid himself for sweep with his song “Who Under Heaven.” It has enough scope to make “McArthur Park” sound “Unplugged.” Costello created a ballad that provides an ideal vehicle for Love and her guest, the blue-eyed soul pioneer Bill Medley. (Click here to read the full article)
]]>Love was a holiday tradition on “Letterman” for nearly 30 years. The popularity of those performances grew.
“I became the ‘Christmas Queen,'” she said.
On Sept. 26, Love will open the 1,250-seat main stage of the Clermont Performing Arts Center, a 69,000-square-foot former megachurch the Lake County city purchased for $6.3 million nearly two years ago.
In addition to her Letterman connection, you might also remember her as Danny Glover’s wife in all three “Lethal Weapon” movies.
But if you’ve been clutching tickets for the “Darlene Love Red Carpet Gala” — the Clermont venue’s inaugural entertainment performance — you may know that Love’s voice is the only thread that runs through the rock ‘n’ roll years, starting with the lead vocals on the No. 1 hit “He’s a Rebel” from 1962.
Image credit: NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 23: Darlene Love performs onstage during The 6th Annual Little Kids Rock Benefit at Hammerstein Ballroom on October 23, 2014 in New York City. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Little Kids Roc)
]]>Image credit: ABC via Getty Images
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