Darrell Banks (July 25, 1937 – February 24, 1970) was an American soul singer. He had a hit with 1966's "Open the Door to Your Heart".
A native of Mansfield, Ohio, he was born Darrell Eubanks, but he was moved as a toddler to Buffalo, New York. A talented musician by a young age, he began singing in church and then at local watering holes. 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, but the marriage failed with the children remaining with their mother.
 |
| Early photo of Darrell |
Darrell befriended a local dentist named Doc Green, who by chance had also owned a local nightclub called the Revilot Lounge. Thanks to Doc Green and his songwriter/musician friend Donnie Elbert, Banks headed to Detroit, Michigan, to begin his professional music career. Under a license agreement by Doc Green, he hooked up with talent personality Lebron Taylor and Solid Hitbound Productions, to use the name of Murphy's night club Revilot for the Record Label of Banks' first single, 'Open The Door To Your Heart,' which debuted in 1966.
 |
| Darrell with half sister Lois |
The song written by Donnie Elbert, but credited as being written by Banks, and then later credited to both of them, landed at number two on the R&B Charts and number 27 on the pop charts. This would be one of Banks' biggest hits. Banks' next release was the single, 'Somebody Somewhere Needs You,' which went to the number 34 spot on the R&B Charts and number 55 on the Pop Charts. The song written by Marc Gordon and Frank Wilson was previously recorded by Ike & Tina Turner on the Loma Record Label. This was his last chart topper, and Revilot was soon merged with the Atlantic Records Atco Division.
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 recorded two more singles, 'Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me),' and 'Here Comes The Tears.' Although he never actually cut a record for the Revilot Record Label, they did release an Atco album in 1967 entitled, "Darrell Banks Is Here.' The album contained both the Atco singles he recorded the smae year and the single, 'I'm Gonna Hang My Head And Cry,' which was written by Cleveland Horne, Gene Redd, Donald Bell, and Rose Marie McCoy. Banks then joined the Cotillion Records Label for the single, 'I Wanna Go Home,' written by Don Davis and Fred Briggs.
In 1969, banks signed with the Stax Records' Volt Division and released an album, and two singles for them entitled, 'No One Is Blinder (Then A Man In Love),' and 'Beautiful Feeling.' The song 'Beautiful Feeling' single fared well, but it didn't do much for Banks' career. Around the same time trouble brewed thanks to the Stax Record Label. A great entertainer Banks was, but he was moody and also had a bad temper. The Record label released a song he had compiled, but gave full credit to a singer named Steve Mancha, who had only recorded it. This was considered an insult to Banks, but the situation was soon cleared up.
A compilation album featuring that song, all of his Stax recordings, and singles like, 'Forgive Me,''Don't Know What To Do,' and Mancha's 'I Could Never Hate Her,' was later released as a package. Although he had worked himself to stardom with more than seven albums, and several recordings, his career was beginning to slump, and tragedy would soon follow. On February 24, 1970, the man considered by many as soul's finest voice was shot and seriously wounded by an off-duty policeman named Aaron Bullock. The story goes that Banks was seeing a woman named Marjorie Bozeman, who was trying to break off the relationship. Bullock intervened when Banks grabbed Bozeman's arm and pulled a gun and shot him. Banks was then rushed to the New Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where he was pronounced dead at the age of 32.
Following his death, the Banks family had a benefit evening at Watts Club Mozambique on Detroit’s West Side. Banks was buried in an unmarked grave at the Detroit Memorial Park West in Detroit, Michigan. After a visit from some fans some 33 years after his death this was discovered, and on July 17, 2004, thanks to financial help from the United States, Scotland, Finland, and Australia, a memorial bench was placed on Banks' unmarked grave.
In December 2014, collectors were bidding many thousands of pounds for a copy of "Open the Door to Your Heart" in an online auction held in the UK, the London Records pressing of the record was thought to be the only copy in circulation. It had previously been thought that all the original versions had been destroyed when rival label EMI won the rights to release the single. It eventually sold for in excess of £14,000 (US$23,000). Bank's recording of "Just Because Your Love Is Gone", released as a single on Stax Records in 1969 is also collectable, with Record Collector magazine listing its value at £100 in mint condition, although in 2009 a copy actually sold for twice that amount.
(Edited from bio by Kris Peterson , Wikipedia & Soul Walking)