Terence Trent D'Arby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sananda Maitreya
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Maitreya in 2003
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Terence Trent Howard |
| Also known as | TTD |
| Born | March 15, 1962 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He first became famous using the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby. His first album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987), was a big hit. It included popular songs like "If You Let Me Stay", "Sign Your Name", "Dance Little Sister", and "Wishing Well".
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Terence Trent Howard was born in Manhattan in 1962. His mother, Frances Howard, was a gospel singer and teacher. She later married Bishop James Benjamin Darby, who became Terence's stepfather. Terence took his stepfather's last name, adding an apostrophe to make it D'Arby.
He trained as a boxer in Orlando, Florida. In 1980, he won a championship in boxing. He decided to go to college instead of a boxing school. After a year, he joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in West Germany, where he led a band called The Touch. They released an album in 1984. In 1986, he moved to London and signed a music contract.
Rise to Fame as Terence Trent D'Arby
Maitreya's first solo album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, came out in July 1987. This album had many hit songs. "Wishing Well" even reached number one.
He won a Grammy Award in 1989 for Best R&B Vocal Performance. He also received a BRIT Award for International Breakthrough Act. These awards showed how popular his music had become.
His next album, Neither Fish nor Flesh (1989), was quite different. It was not as popular as his first album. Four years later, he released another album. This album included the songs "Delicate" and "She Kissed Me". It reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart. The song "Let Her Down Easy" was later covered by George Michael.
In 1995, Maitreya released another album and went on a world tour. His music was also used in several movies and TV shows. He sang the theme song for the 1991 movie Frankie and Johnny. His songs were featured in films like Beverly Hills Cop III and The Fan.
In 1999, he performed with the band INXS. He filled in for their late singer, Michael Hutchence, at a big event.
Career as Sananda Maitreya
On October 4, 2001, D'Arby legally changed his name to Sananda Maitreya. He explained that this name change felt like a new beginning for him. He said the name means "rebirth" in Sanskrit. Sānanda means 'possessed of happiness', and maitreya means 'friendly, kind, loving'.
From 2001 to 2021, Maitreya released many new albums. In 2001, he released Wildcard. This album was first available for free online. In 2002, he moved to Milan, Italy. He married Francesca Francone in 2003.
He then started his project Angels & Vampires - Volume I. He released the songs in parts on his website. The full album came out in 2005. He continued this with Angels & Vampires - Volume II in 2006. This album had 40 songs, including a cover of "Angie" by the Rolling Stones. Maitreya played all the instruments and produced the album himself.
In 2007, three of his songs were in the movie Knocked Up. He continued to tour and release live albums. These live albums featured the best songs from his concerts.
Maitreya released Nigor Mortis in 2008. Like his previous work, it was first released in chapters online. The Sphinx album came out in 2011. In 2013, he released Return to Zooathalon. This was followed by the double album The Rise of the Zugebrian Time Lords in 2015.
In 2017, he released a very large album called Prometheus & Pandora. It had 53 songs. He said this album helped him deal with the loss of his friends and music heroes, like David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, and Tom Petty.
In December 2020, a new live album, Some Sake in Osaka, was released. It showed his tour in Japan. On March 15, 2021, Maitreya released his 12th studio album, Pandora's PlayHouse. This album included songs with other artists like The Avalanches and Irene Grandi. It also had a song called "Prince" to honor his friend, the musician Prince.
In 2022, he was featured on a song called "Lonely" by Calvin Harris.
Personal Life
Sananda Maitreya has a daughter named Seraphina Simone, who was born in 1988. She is also a musician in London.
In 2003, Maitreya married Francesca Francone, an Italian TV host and architect. They have two sons together.
Discography
as Terence Trent D'Arby
- Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987)
- Neither Fish nor Flesh (1989)
- Wildcard (2001)
as Sananda Maitreya
- Angels & Vampires – Volume I (2005)
- Angels & Vampires – Volume II (2006)
- Nigor Mortis (2009)
- The Sphinx (2011)
- Return to Zooathalon (2013)
- The Rise of the Zugebrian Time Lords (2015)
- Prometheus & Pandora (2017)
- Pandora's PlayHouse (2021)
- The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan (2024)
Filmography
- as Terence Trent D'Arby
- 1984: Schulmädchen '84 (feature film directed by Nikolai Müllerschön)
- 1993: Heimat II: A Chronicle of a Generation (TV series, 1 episode, "Kennedys Kinder")
- 1999: Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story as Jackie Wilson (TV mini-series)
- 1999: Clubland as Toby (feature film directed by Mary Lambert)
- 2000: Static Shock (TV series, 1 episode, "They're Playing My Song" as DJ Rock)
See also
In Spanish: Terence Trent D'Arby para niños
- 1989 BRIT Awards
- 31st Annual Grammy Awards
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1980s
