Darrell Banks

Born: Darrell Eubanks, 25th July 1937, Mansfield, Ohio, U.S.A.
Died: 24th February 1970, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.

Darrell Banks grew up in Buffalo, New York and first signed for Revilot Records which released his 1966 single "Open the Door to Your Heart" (the B-side "Our Love Is In the Pocket" later became a must-have on the Northern Soul circuit) which peaked at number 27 on the Billboard charts. His second single on Revilot, "Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You", reached number 55.

He then moved to Atco Records, releasing "Here Come the Tears"/"I've Got That Feelin" and "Angel Baby (Don't Ever Leave Me)"/"Look into the Eyes of a Fool" in 1967, neither of which charted. Atco then released an LP "Darrell Banks Is Here" which included his Revilot singles.

Banks only released one more single whilst at Atco, "I Wanna Go Home"/"The Love of My Woman" via their subsidiary Cotillion Records (on Atlantic) before moving Stax Records, where he had limited success with another LP "Here to stay"and two more singles on their Volt subsidiary, the first being "Just because your love is gone / I'm the one who loves you", and Darrell's final release was "Beautiful Feeling / No One Blinder".

There would be no more recordings from this beloved and hugely talent singer as he was tragically shot on 24th February 1970 by an off-duty policeman who intervened when he was allegedly assaulting his girlfriend Marjorie Bozeman. Banks was rushed to Michigan's New Grace Hospital where he was declared dead at 12.10pm.

He was buried on March 2nd 1970 at Detroit Memorial Park after which some of Detroit's top performers, including Motown's Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, staged a benefit for Bank's family.


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