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 84) 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 Love (born Darlene Wright on July 26, 1941) is an American singer and actress famous for her powerful soul and R&B voice. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and also a successful solo artist.

Love started singing in her church choir as a child. In the 1960s, she worked with the famous music producer Phil Spector. He had her sing lead on the hit songs "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love," but these songs were released under the name of another group, the Crystals.

Because of her amazing voice, she became a popular backup singer. She worked with huge stars like Sam Cooke, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and Sonny and Cher. As an actress, she is known for playing the wife of Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon movies.

For many years, TV host David Letterman invited her to sing her famous song "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on his show every holiday season. He even called her the "Christmas Queen." In 2011, she was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was also featured in the Oscar-winning movie 20 Feet from Stardom, which won her a Grammy Award.

Early Life

Darlene Wright was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 26, 1941. Her father, Joe Wright, was a minister, so she grew up listening to gospel music in church. Her younger sister, Edna Wright, also became a singer in the group Honey Cone.

At age ten, Darlene joined her local church choir. The choir director, Cora Martin-Moore, noticed her incredible talent. This was her first real experience with music, and it inspired her to become a professional singer.

Music Career

A Secret Star in the 1960s

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

While still in high school, Darlene joined a girl group called the Blossoms. In 1962, producer Phil Spector hired them for a recording session. Spector's main group, the Crystals, couldn't make it, so he paid Darlene to sing the lead part on the song "He's a Rebel."

The song became a No. 1 hit, but it was released under the Crystals' name. Darlene's voice was on the radio, but nobody knew it was her. Spector did this again with the song "He's Sure the Boy I Love." Darlene sang the lead, but the song was credited to the Crystals.

In 1963, Darlene recorded "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for a holiday album. The song became a huge Christmas classic and is now one of her most famous tunes.

As a member of the Blossoms, Darlene sang backup vocals on many famous 1960s hits. These included The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and Frank Sinatra's "That's Life". She was also part of the group Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, who had a top 10 hit with "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."

Making a Comeback

After taking a break to raise her family, Love returned to music in the 1980s. For a while, she had to work as a maid to make money. One day, while cleaning a house, she heard her own song, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," on the radio. She saw this as a sign to return to her singing career.

She started performing again in clubs in Los Angeles and New York. In the mid-1980s, she starred in a Broadway musical called Leader of the Pack, which celebrated the songs she helped make famous.

In 1986, she was invited to sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's late-night TV show. This became a beloved tradition that lasted for nearly 30 years.

Later Career and Recognition

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

In 1992, Love sang "All Alone on Christmas" for the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. She continued to perform and record music. In 1998, she wrote a book about her life called My Name Is Love.

In 2011, Darlene Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During her speech, she thanked Spector for recognizing her talent. She then performed "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Bruce Springsteen.

Her story was a big part of the 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. The film is about the lives of backup singers. It won an Academy Award, and Love won a Grammy Award for her part in the film.

In 2015, she released a new album called Introducing Darlene Love. It was produced by Steve Van Zandt of the E-Street Band and featured songs written for her by Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello.

Acting Career

Besides singing, Darlene Love has also had a successful acting career. In the 1980s and 1990s, she played Trish Murtaugh, the wife of Danny Glover's character, in all four Lethal Weapon movies.

She has also performed on Broadway. She starred as the fun-loving character Motormouth Maybelle in the hit musical Hairspray from 2005 to 2008. More recently, she has appeared in Netflix movies like Holiday Rush (2019) and The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020).

The "Christmas Queen"

Darlene Love's yearly performance of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on David Letterman's show made her a holiday icon. After Letterman retired in 2014, she continued the tradition on the show The View.

Letterman called her the "Christmas Queen" because her performance was a special part of the holiday season for so many people. She has also performed her Christmas songs at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and on other TV shows.

Personal Life

Darlene Love has been married to her husband, Alton Allison, since 1984. She has three sons from her previous marriages. She currently lives in New York.

Awards and Honors

• In 1995, she received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
• In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the 100 Greatest Singers of all time.
• In 2011, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• In 2015, she won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film for the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.

Discography

Solo albums

Compilations

Live albums

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Darlene Love para niños