One of Soul Music's finest voices was silenced
forever at 12:10pm, on Tuesday 24th February
1970.
This major talent had a brief career which
exploded into the charts in 1966, but four years
later he died in tragic circumstances as a
result of an altercation on LaSalle Boulevard in
North West Detroit.
Darrell Eubanks was born in Mansfield, Ohio on
the 25th of July 1937.
Within a few years his family moved to the East
Side of Buffalo, New York, where he was raised
in the Gospel tradition.
Research by Richard Pack of Toronto uncovered
that Darrell sang with local groups, Daddy B
Combo and Grand Prix in those early days.
In the mid-sixties he met up with local dentist
and music fan, Doc Murphy who gave him a chance
in Club Revilot in downtown
Buffalo.
Showing great promise, Murphy, now Darrell's
manager, linked Banks up with Lebaron Taylor.
His first recording, "Open the door to your
heart", emerged soon after.
Lebaron was co-owner of a new production company
called Solid Hitbound and together with Don
Davis and George White, of WXYZ, the partners
sought to launch their first record label.
Mysteriously, it was named after the Club
Revilot in
Buffalo.
Lebaron and Don were working at Golden World
when the partnership was forged and several
Solid Hitbound productions had already gained
release on Wingate and Bratton's Ric Tic
records.
Revilot's first release was penned by Darrell
and Donnie Elbert, who also hailed from Buffalo.
The song was called "Open the door to your
heart" and it gave the label an astonishing
chart debut in July 1966, achieving Pop #27, R&B
#2. Dennis Coffey recalls that it was cut in
United Sound Systems on Second Avenue.
When the song exploded into the charts, Elbert
was horrified to find that his name did not
appear on the 45, although this was rectified at
a later date by B.M.I.
Lebaron Taylor
The flip side is another outstanding song called
"Our love is in the pocket". Credited to George
Clinton, Rose Marie McCoy and JoAnne Bratton, it
is the very essence of the Detroit Sound.
Revilot would go on to release another two dozen
45's but strangely enough only one would feature
Darrell.
"Somebody, somewhere needs you" was written by
L.A. songwriters Frank Wilson and Marc Gordon,
and was released in the fall of the same year.
This recording fared less well, but still
achieved a creditable Pop #55, R&B #34.
The flip, "Baby what'cha got (for me)", was
written by Edwin Starr, JJ Barnes and Sonny
Sanders who had all been working at Golden
World.
A deal with Atlantic subsidiary Atco, in 1967,
led to some new material for Darrell.
Mirasound Studio on 47th Street provided the
backdrop for vocals while
Detroit continued to provide the rhythm tracks.
The new material included a cover of Gene
Chandler's "Here come the tears"; Cosby/Moy's
Jobete dancer "Angel Baby"; Derek Martin's
classic ballad "You better go"; and a mix of
three McCoy/Redd songs co-written with Cleveland
Horn, and others.
An album emerged called "Darrell Banks is here".
Also making it onto the album were the two
Revilot 45's.
Atco also issued two 45's; "Here come the
tears"/"I've got that feelin'" and "Angel
baby"/"Look into the eyes of a fool", but they
failed to chart.
Another branch of Atlantic Records, Cotillion,
also issued a 45 in July 1968. "I wanna go
home"/"The love of my woman", although
competent, suffered a similar fate to the Atco
material.
Don Davis had been working with
Memphis based Stax records for eighteen months when he met up again
with Darrell.
Don produced the "Here to stay" album in United
Sound. It was arranged by Rudy Robinson and Bert
Keyes and engineered by Ed Wolfrum, Ron Capone
and Don himself.
Amongst the songwriters on display were the
famous "We Three" from Memphis; Raymond Jackson,
Bettye Crutcher and Homer Banks. Detroiters also
featured and several songs were included from
both Steve Mancha and Brothers of Soul members
Fred Bridges and Richard Knight.
So the stage was set for a great album and it
certainly was, gaining release on Stax
subsidiary Volt.
A couple of 45's were released too. "We Three's"
"Just because your love is gone" b/w Melvin
Davis's "I'm the one who loves you", and
Darrell's final release "Beautiful feeling" b/w
"No One Blinder".
Sadly, despite the quality of the material,
chart action was non-existent.
Several weeks after his final release, the front
page of the Michigan Chronicle carried a
shocking story.
Rita Griffin was the reporter
"A bullet fired by an off-duty policeman ended
the life of singer Darrell Banks, who made
history among his peers in the entertainment
field several years ago when scoring a million
seller hit with "Open the door".
Banks, 35 , was shot and fatally wounded last
week by patrolman Aaron Bullock who was
attempting to intercede in an alleged assault by
the singer on Marjorie Bozeman.
According to statements by witnesses Bullock was
dropping Miss Bozeman off at her home on
Detroit's west-side around 11 am Tuesday when
Banks who had been waiting in his car near the
house approached the couple and grabbed Miss
Bozeman by the coat stating that he and she were
going to talk.
Bullock identified himself as a police officer
and ordered Banks to release Miss Bozeman. Banks
then pulled a .22 revolver from his waist band
and pointed it at the patrolman.
Bullock then reportedly ducked, drew his pistol,
and pointed it and fired one shot striking Banks
in the neck.
Banks was taken to New Grace Hospital where he
was declared dead at 12.10pm.
Ms Bozeman a barmaid in a North West Detroit
lounge told investigating officers that she and
Banks had been close friends but she was trying
to end the relationship.
Friends of Miss Bozeman reported that the couple
were last seen together Sunday Feb. 22nd."
This was the first public announcement of his
death. It appeared in the Michigan Chronicle
dated March 7th 1970. Issues always appear on
the streets on the previous Wednesday, which on
this occasion was March 4th.
Therefore Darrell was dead a full 8 days prior
to the public announcement.
Historically, the death of Darrell Banks has
always been recorded as March 1970, but as we
can see from the certificate it was in fact
during the last week of February 1970.
It was also been reported that he had been shot
in the neck, when in fact he was also also shot
in the chest.
He has also been listed at age 35 when in fact
he was 32, and as being born in 1938 when in
fact it was 1937.
It can also be seen on the certificate that the
incident is described as an "assault" and a
"homicide", however, no court case emerged.
Funeral services were held by the Reverend
Arthur Posey on Monday March 2nd 1970, at Temple
of Jude Church in Highland Park.
Interment was at Detroit Memorial Park on 13
Mile and Ryan. Darrell was interred in Section
36, Plot 539.
The board in the photograph gives the following
brief history.
"Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery was organized in
1925 to serve the rapidly expanding post-war
Detroit black population.
Concerned with the indignities and poor quality
of service received by the black community,
several distinguished Detroiters established the
cemetery to provide reasonably priced and
dignified burials.
This was the first black-owned and operated
business of its kind in the state. Its
incorporators included Charles Diggs, a
mortician and acknowledged founder, and Dr.
Aaron Toodle, a druggist and first president.
By careful management the cemetery corporation
survived the Great Depression and expanded into
financial services.
Famous inventor, Elijah McCoy, [as in the 'Real
McCoy'] is buried here among doctors, lawyers,
ministers, teachers, and business, civic and
political leaders."
Later that evening some of Detroit's top
performers, including Motown's Martha Reeves and
the Vandellas, staged a benefit for Bank's
family in Watts Club
Mozambique.
The Chronicle reported that it "drew a turnaway
crowd".
The money gathered established a trust fund for
Darrell's children.
He was survived by Darrell Edward Jr, aged nine,
and Bamby Lynn, eight, who were then living with
their Mother,
Beverly K Simon in
California.
Darrell also had five brothers and one sister.
music : "Our Love
Is In The Pocket" - Darrell Banks (Revilot 201b)
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