Biography
IMAGINE THIS: One voice with the gut-wrenching emotion of a blues singer, the improvisational gift of a jazz vocalist, the range and control of a classical tenor and the strength of spirit of a Gospel soloist.
In the entire history of music, few vocalists have been able to merge the very best of so many musical genres into a cohesive artistic vision. As a nationally renowned recording artist for more than twenty years, Daryl Coley’s ability to do that effortlessly, while remaining true to the message of the church he loves, has made him one of the most unique and celebrated artists of our age.
A native of California, Coley was born in Berkley in 1955 and raised in Oakland, where he spent the bulk of his developmental years influenced equally by his upbringing in the African-American church and his vocalist mother’s love for Gospel, classical and jazz music. His teenage years were filled with vocal and instrumental training in school bands and regional choirs, and by the time he entered college his talent as a singer and keyboardist was widely recognized.
In 1977, Coley’s unique musical presence earned him the opportunity to perform with the legendary Hawkins Family. As a singer with Edwin Hawkins and later a songwriter and musical director for Tramaine Hawkins, Coley began to establish a name for himself on a national level. Lead vocal appearances on several high profile albums with Hawkins family and with James Cleveland’s Gospel Music Workshop of America, led to Coley’s solo debut, JUST DARYL, in 1985. The string of award nominations and chart-topping albums has never ceased.
aryl Coley has worked with some of the music industry’s most talented artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ramsey Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Richard Smallwood, Sylvester and Philip Bailey. He has recorded a landmark collection of more than 100 studio performances, yet his greatest impact in the Gospel marketplace has always been the strength of his live performances. With a simple inflection, a slight change of rhythm, a split-second decision to emote with great passion or retreat into a pocket of vocal coolness, he captures the spirit of music and lyric. In a live performance Daryl Coley is entirely in his element, intuitively sensing the pulse of any audience. His consistent artistry in maximizing the concert moment remains unrivaled.
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