Darondo

William Pulliam
Born	San Francisco, United States
Genres	Funk, rare groove, California Soul, Afro beat, soul

William Pulliam, who performed in the 70s under the name Darondo, was a funk and soul singer who sounded like a combination of Ronald Isley and Al Green. Little known by anyone except serious enthusiasts of that genre, Darondo is highly respected by that limited audience. The mythology surrounding Darondo is that he was a pimp, although he denies this claim. Still living in the San Francisco Bay area, Darondo has received considerably more attention in recent years thanks to London DJ Gilles Peterson playing his 1973 single, "Didn't I" on his BBC Radio 1 program.

Darondo recorded three singles and played four shows in the ’70s, and then stopped and drove home in his Rolls Royce after he opened for James Brown. Later he traveled the world collecting interesting artifacts, became the king of Bay Area cable with three shows per day, and worked as a physical therapist coaxing patients to walk again.^[1]

Three singles recorded during the early 1970s were re-released on Luv N Haight, an imprint label of Ubiquity Records in 2006.

In 2008 Darondo's song "Didn't I" was featured on an episode (season 1, episode 4) of Breaking Bad. In 2009, the song "Legs" was featured in an episode (season 1, episode 8) of the American version of Life on Mars. In 2010, "Didn't I" was featured in the films Night Catches Us and Jack Goes Boating.

1. ^ L.A. RECORD

Discography

• "Let my People Go", Ubiquity Records, 2006
• "Listen to my Song, the Music City sessions", Omnivore Recordings, 2011

External links

• Darondo at Ubiquity Records
• Let My People Go LP on Ubiquity Records
• NPR SXSW Artists to Watch
• March 2008 interview with L.A. Record
• Live Photos @ Detroit Bar (June 2008)

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