Bio

 

I was born in Worcester, MA in 1951.

The music scene in Worcester in the mid and late sixties was thriving. Situated between NYC and Boston, it was a stopping point for many of the top name recording acts of the day.

My first concert, at the age of 4, was Gene Autry, who entered the stage on a horse and holding a guitar. I guess that was the starting point for me - I had to have a horse, but settled for a guitar.

Growing up in Worcester, I also had a chance to hear The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Butterfield Blues Band (with Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop), Buddy Rich, Sam and Dave, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Jamie Brockett, Van Morrison, J Geils, Albert King, The Byrds, John Mayall, Mick Taylor, The Lovin' Spoonful, Richie Havens, and many more artists passing through. I almost forgot - Sam the Sham (and the Pharaohs),too.

I studied guitar with Peter Clemente at age 11. I was 11, Peter was much older. My first guitar was a Stella. The best acoustic guitar you could get for $15.

I continued lessons until I mastered the instrument at age 13. Then the Beatles arrived and teenagers everywhere were starting garage bands. I picked up a Sears electric guitar (a little later a Vox teardrop). We didn't have a garage but I did play in every club, school, frat house, radio shows, and church in and around the city (actually winning the 1966 Worcester Jaycees Battle of the Bands at Worcester Auditorium).

At the ripe old age of 15 I discovered the blues and for the rest of the sixties I was playing blues, R & B and folk.

My main musical influences and the music that was to have the greatest impact on me were The Beatles, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Django Reinhardt. From these three artists I branched out to all the sixties pop groups, the early blues artists and the seminal jazz players.

My greatest music comedy influences were The Smothers Brothers and Martin Mull. Dan Hicks is in there somewhere, too. The Shaggs were never an influence.

In 1971, studied recording engineering with record producer Phil Ramone at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

After a year of writing and playing original tunes, I started The Bobby Darling Show in 1974 with Paul Hendrickson (see history).

Studied voice in Boston with Dante Pavone in 1979.

In the eighties I enrolled in video production at Greenfield Community College and film at Hampshire College, in Amherst.

In 2000, I set a goal to write three CDs of original music and make music videos of the songs - still plugging away.

To date, I've performed in over 3000 live performances.