Darondo, San Francisco Soul Singer, Dead at 67
Darondo, a Bay Area soul singer best known for the song “Didn’t I,” has died, Spin reports. He was 67. When he died, and the cause of death, weren’t available. The California record label Ubiquity, which released one of Darondo’s albums, first announced the news on Facebook.
Known for his distinctive personal style and soulful voice, Darondo was a cult favorite who escaped mainstream notice for decades. Born William Daron Pulliam, the soul and funk singer began making music in the Sixties before crate-digging vinyl enthusiasts discovered him in more recent years, leading to the 2006 Ubiquity release of Let My People Go, an album of material Darondo had recorded in the Seventies.
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The album included the 1972 song “Didn’t I,” which received broader attention when it played over the opening credits of the “Cancer Man” episode of Breaking Bad during the show’s first season. In 2011, Omnivore Recordings released another collection, Listen to My Song: The Music City Sessions.
Darondo’s most recent live performance was scheduled for Bonnaroo 2012, but he pulled out last minute due to health concerns. A tribute and additional deatails are still to come.