Darlene Love facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darlene Love
Love at the 2013 Montclair Film Festival
Background information
Birth name	Darlene Wright
Born	(1941-07-26) July 26, 1941 (age 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Soul, R&B, jazz, pop, rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1959–present
Labels	Philles, OKeh, Warner-Spector

Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known as Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the main singer for the girl group the Blossoms. She also had a successful career as a solo artist.

Darlene started singing in her church choir when she was a child. In 1962, she began working with producer Phil Spector, who gave her the name Darlene Love. She sang lead on popular songs like "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love." These songs were actually released under the name of another group, the Crystals.

Soon, many famous musicians wanted Darlene to sing with them. She worked with stars like Sam Cooke, Dionne Warwick, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and Sonny and Cher. Besides singing, Darlene Love also acted in Broadway shows. She played the role of Trish Murtaugh, the wife of Roger Murtaugh, in the Lethal Weapon movies.

For many years, David Letterman invited Darlene Love to sing her famous song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on his TV show before Christmas. These performances began in 1986 and continued until 2014. Letterman even called her the "Christmas Queen." Since 2015, she has sung the song every year on The View.

Rolling Stone magazine named Darlene Love one of the 100 Greatest Singers. In 2011, she was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also appeared in the movie 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which won an Oscar. For her work in this film, she won a Grammy Award.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Darlene Wright was born on July 26, 1941, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Ellen Maddox and Reverend Joe Wright. Her younger sister, Edna Wright, later became the lead singer of the group Honey Cone. Darlene spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles.

As a minister's daughter, Darlene grew up listening to gospel music. She was a dedicated member of her church. She started singing with her local church choir in Hawthorne, California, when she was ten. Her choir director, Cora Martin-Moore, noticed her talent. This early experience greatly influenced her decision to become a singer.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out in Music

The Blossoms in 1966. Left to right: Darlene Love, Fanita James, Jean King

While still in high school in 1957, Darlene sang with a group called the Echoes. Later, she joined a girl group known as the Blossoms.

In 1962, the Blossoms were hired to sing for music producer Phil Spector. His group, the Crystals, couldn't make it to Los Angeles for a recording session. So, Darlene was paid to sing the lead on the song "He's a Rebel." This was her first time recording with Spector. The song was quickly released and credited to the Crystals, even though Darlene sang on it. This surprised the Crystals, but they had to perform the song as if it were their own. "He's a Rebel" became a number one hit in November 1962.

After this success, Darlene signed a deal with Spector, who changed her name to Darlene Love. She recorded "He's Sure the Boy I Love," expecting it to be released under her new name. However, Spector again credited it to the Crystals. Even the songwriter, Cynthia Weil, didn't know Darlene had sung on the track.

Darlene Love recorded the song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for Spector's 1963 holiday album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector. The song was meant for another singer, but Darlene was brought in because she could put more emotion into it. This song became a huge success over time and is now Darlene's most famous tune.

As a member of the Blossoms, Darlene sang backup vocals on many big hits of the 1960s. These included "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes and "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares. The Blossoms also released their own singles, but they were not always very successful.

Darlene also sang backup for the Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You." She was part of a group called Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. They recorded Spector's version of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," a song from the 1946 Walt Disney film Song of the South. This song reached the Top 10 in 1963.

The Blossoms had a regular spot on Shindig!, a popular music TV show. They also appeared on Johnny Rivers' hits. The Blossoms were part of Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special on NBC. Darlene and the Blossoms sang backup for other artists too.

In the 1970s, Darlene continued to work as a backup singer. She then took a break to raise her family. In 1973, she recorded vocals for the Cheech & Chong song "Basketball Jones," which was a Top 15 hit.

Returning to Music

Darlene Love returned to music in the early 1980s. She performed in places like the Roxy in Los Angeles. A conversation with musician Steven Van Zandt encouraged her to perform in New York in 1982. She also sang in the 1980 movie The Idolmaker. During this time, Darlene also worked as a maid. One day, she heard her song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the radio. This inspired her to focus on singing again.

In the mid-1980s, she played herself in the musical Leader of the Pack. This show featured rock and roll songs written by Ellie Greenwich. The musical helped Darlene get back into the spotlight.

In 1986, Darlene's big chance came when she was asked to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's Christmas show. This became a yearly tradition. In 1987, she sang backup for U2's version of the same Christmas song.

Later Career and Recognition

Love engaging the audience at Barnes & Noble Tribeca, June 2013

In 1988, Darlene Love released the album Paint Another Picture. This album included a new version of her old hit "He's Sure the Man I Love." The album did not become a big hit in the US. In 1990, Cher invited Darlene and her sister Edna Wright to be her background singers for the Heart of Stone Tour. In 1992, Darlene released the song "All Alone on Christmas," which was featured in the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The song was also in the British film Love Actually.

Darlene Love continues to perform a Christmas show every year in New York City. She always ends the show with "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." In 2007, she released It's Christmas of Course, an album of Christmas songs. In 2009, Darlene performed with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert.

Darlene Love was featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013). This movie showed the lives of backup singers and won an Oscar for Best Documentary. 20 Feet from Stardom also won a Grammy Award in 2015.

In 2014, Darlene recorded a duet, "He's Sure the Boy I Love," with Bette Midler for Midler's album It's the Girls!. This album honored girl groups.

Darlene's most recent album, Introducing Darlene Love, was released in September 2015. It includes new songs by Bruce Springsteen and covers of songs by other artists. In 2016, Darlene began touring the United States with her new album.

In 2023, Darlene reunited with Cher to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Cher's Christmas album.

Acting Career

In the late 1980s and 1990s, Darlene Love also started an acting career. She played Trish Murtaugh, the wife of Danny Glover's character, in all four Lethal Weapon movies.

Darlene has also had many important roles in Broadway shows. She performed in Grease and Carrie. She starred as Motormouth Maybelle in Broadway's Hairspray from 2005 to 2008. She later played the role again in a Hollywood Bowl production in 2011.

In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix movie Holiday Rush. In 2020, she sang and acted in the Netflix movie The Christmas Chronicles 2.

Christmas Television Performances

Darlene Love performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's TV show every year before Christmas. This tradition started in 1986 on Late Night with David Letterman (NBC). It continued on Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) until 2014. Letterman said her performance was his favorite part of Christmas. He called her the "Christmas Queen." In 2023, Darlene appeared with Letterman on his YouTube channel, singing the song again.

Because of a writers' strike in 2007, Darlene could not perform on Letterman's show that year. Instead, a repeat of her 2006 performance was shown. From 2015 to 2023, Darlene performed the song annually on ABC's The View. She only missed the 2021 show due to a COVID-19 exposure. She often performs the song as a duet with other singers like Patti LaBelle and Bryan Adams. Darlene also sang "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the TV show New Girl in 2016.

On December 17, 2005, Darlene Love was a special guest on Saturday Night Live. She sang "White Christmas" with the band.

In November 2023, Darlene sang "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with Cher at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Darlene also sang "A Marshmallow World" by herself at the event.

In 2024, Darlene returned to late night TV. She performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul and Paul Shaffer.

Personal Life

Darlene Love has been married three times and has three children. She married Leonard Peete in 1959 and had two sons, Marcus and Chawn. They divorced in 1968. She married Wesley Mitchell in 1971 and had a son, Jason Davion. They later divorced. Darlene married Alton Allison on June 28, 1984, and they live in Rockland County, New York.

Awards and Honors

In 1995, Darlene Love received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Darlene Love as number 84 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers.

On March 14, 2011, Darlene Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bette Midler gave the speech for her induction. Darlene, nearly in tears, thanked Phil Spector for recognizing her talent. She then sang "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Bruce Springsteen playing a guitar solo.

In 2015, Darlene Love won her first Grammy Award for Best Music Film for the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.

In September 2015, Entertainment Weekly magazine featured Darlene Love. The article highlighted her five decades of musical achievements.

Darlene Love gave the first performance to open the Clermont Performing Arts Center in Clermont, Florida, on September 26, 2015.

Discography

Solo Albums

Compilations

Live Albums

Other Appearances

• 1963: Today's Hits (Philles Records 4004)
• 1963: A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (Philles Records 4005)
• 1977: Phil Spector's Greatest Hits (Warner-Spector Records 9104)
• 1985: Leader of the Pack Original Broadway Cast (Elektra Records 60420)
• 1991: Back to Mono (1958–1969) (ABKCO Records 7118) (boxed set)
• 1992: A Very Special Christmas 2 (A&M/PolyGram Records 450 003)

Singles

Filmography

Theater

See also

In Spanish: Darlene Love para niños