Danny Whitten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Danny Whitten
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Danny Ray Whitten |
| Born | May 8, 1943 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | November 18, 1972 (aged 29) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hard rock, country rock, blues-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1962–1972 |
| Labels | Liberty, Valiant, Loma, a division of Autumn, White Whale, Reprise |
| Associated acts | Danny & The Memories, The Psyrcle, Bonnett & Mountjoy, The Rockets, Crazy Horse, Neil Young |
Danny Ray Whitten (May 8, 1943 – November 18, 1972) was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with Neil Young's backing band Crazy Horse, and for the song "I Don't Want to Talk About It", a hit for Rod Stewart and Everything but the Girl.
Contents
Biography
Early years
Whitten was born on May 8, 1943, in Columbus, Georgia. His parents split up when he was young. He and his sister, Brenda, lived with their mother, who worked long hours as a waitress. His mother remarried when he was nine years old and the family moved to Canton, Ohio.
Musical beginnings
Whitten joined Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina and Benjamin Rocco in the doo-wop group, Danny and the Memories. After recording an obscure single, "Can't Help Loving That Girl of Mine", core members of the group moved to San Francisco where they morphed into a folk-psychedelic rock act called The Psyrcle. Whitten played guitar, Molina drums, and Talbot played bass and piano.
By 1967, the group took on brothers George and Leon Whitsell on additional guitars and vocals, as well as violinist Bobby Notkoff, the sextet calling themselves The Rockets. They signed with independent label White Whale Records, working with producer Barry Goldberg for the group's self-titled album in mid-1968. The album sold poorly.
Connection with Neil Young
Songwriter Neil Young, fresh from departing Buffalo Springfield, with one album of his own under his belt, began jamming with the Rockets and expressed interest in recording with Whitten, Molina and Talbot. The trio agreed, so long as they were allowed to simultaneously continue on with The Rockets. Young acquiesced initially, but imposed a rehearsal schedule that made that an impossibility. At first dubbed "War Babies" by Young, they soon became known as Crazy Horse.
Recording sessions led to Young's second album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, credited as Neil Young with Crazy Horse, with Whitten on second guitar and vocals. Although his role was that of support, Whitten sang the album's opening track "Cinnamon Girl" along with Young, and Whitten and Young shared lead guitar on "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand". These tracks would influence the grunge movement of the 1990s, and all three songs remain part of Young's performance repertoire.
Death
Whitten was dismissed from Crazy Horse by Talbot and Molina, who used replacements on the band's two albums of 1972. In April of that year, after receiving a call from Young to play rhythm guitar as a member of The Stray Gators on the upcoming tour behind Young's Harvest album, Whitten showed up for rehearsals at Young's home outside San Francisco. While the rest of the group hammered out arrangements, Whitten lagged behind, figuring out the rhythm parts, though never in sync with the rest of the group. Young, who had more at stake after the success of After the Gold Rush and Harvest, fired him from the band on November 18, 1972. He gave Whitten $50 and a plane ticket back to Los Angeles. Later that night Whitten died from ingesting a combination of medications.
Years later, Young told biographer Jimmy McDonough that for a long time after Whitten died, he felt responsible for Whitten's death. It took him years to stop blaming himself.
Discography
- "Surfin' Granny' (A-Side), "Mirror Mirror" (B-Side), Danny & The Memories, Single, Liberty label, 1963 (Not Released)
- "Can't Help Loving That Girl of Mine" (A-Side), "Don't Go" (B-Side), Danny & The Memories, Single, Valiant label, 7/64; re-released 3/65
- "Baby, Don't Do That" (A-Side), (B-Side is unknown), The Psyrcle, Single, Lorna label, 1966 (Not Released)
- The Rockets, The Rockets, Album, White Whale label, 1968
- "Hole In My Pocket" (A-side), "Let Me Go" (B-Side), The Rockets, Single, White Whale label, 1968
- "Hole In My Pocket" (A & B-Sides), The Rockets, Single, White Whale label, 1968 (Promotional/radio release only)
- "Let Me Go" (A & B-Sides), The Rockets, Single, White Whale label, 1968 (Promotional/radio release only)
- Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Album, Reprise label, 1969
- After the Gold Rush, Neil Young, Album, Reprise label, 1970
- Crazy Horse, Crazy Horse, Album, Reprise label, 1971
- "Downtown" (A-Side), "Crow Jane Lady" (B-Side), Crazy Horse, Single, Reprise label, 1971
- "Dance, Dance, Dance" (A-Side), "Carolay" (B-Side), Crazy Horse, Single, Reprise label, 1971
- "Dirty, Dirty" (A-Side), "Beggar's Day" (B-Side), Crazy Horse, Single, Reprise label 1971
- Tonight's the Night, Neil Young, Album, Reprise, 1975 (recorded 1970, posthumously released)
- Gone Dead Train: The Best of Crazy Horse 1971–1989 Crazy Horse, Album, Raven label, 2005
- Scratchy: The Complete Reprise Recordings, Crazy Horse, Album, Rhino Handmade label, 2005
- Live at the Fillmore East, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Album, Reprise, 2006 (recorded 1970)
- The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Album, Reprise, 2009
Songs written by Danny Whitten
- "Baby, Don't Do That" (Whitten, Billy Talbot) 1966 Lorna single, produced by Sly Stone
- "Dance To The Music On The Radio" (Whitten, Talbot)
- "Dirty, Dirty" (Whitten)
- "(Come On Baby Let's Go) Downtown" (Whitten, Neil Young)
- "Hole in My Pocket" (Whitten) 1968 White Whale single, produced by Barry Goldberg; also recorded by the 'Barry Goldberg Reunion' on There's No Hole In My Soul for Buddah Records.
- "I Don't Need Nobody (Hangin' Round My Door)" (Whitten)
- "I Don't Want to Talk About It" (Whitten)
- "I'll Get By" (Whitten)
- "Let Me Go" (Whitten) 1968 White Whale single, produced by Barry Goldberg.
- "Look At All The Things" (Whitten)
- "Love Can Be So Bad" (Whitten, Lolly Vegas)
- "May" (Whitten, Talbot)
- "Mr. Chips" (Whitten)
- "Oh Boy" (Whitten)
- "Wasted" (Whitten, Lolly Vegas, Pat Vegas)
- "Whatever" (Whitten, Talbot)
- "Won't You Say You'll Stay" (Whitten)
See also
