Daryl Coley

IMAGINE THIS: One voice with the gut-wrenching emotion of a blues

singer,

the improvisational gift of a jazz vocalist, the range and control of a

classical tenor and the strength of spirit of a Gospel soloist.



In the entire history of music, few vocalists have been able to merge

the

very best of so many musical genres into a cohesive artistic vision.

As a

nationally renowned recording artist for more than twenty years, Daryl

Coleys ability to do that effortlessly, while remaining true to the

message of the church he loves, has made him one of the most unique and

celebrated artists of our age.



A native of California, Coley was born in Berkley in 1955 and raised in

Oakland, where he spent the bulk of his developmental years influenced

equally by his upbringing in the African-American church and his

vocalist

mothers love for Gospel, classical and jazz music. His teenage years

were filled with vocal and instrumental training in school bands and

regional choirs, and by the time he entered college his talent as a

singer

and keyboardist was widely recognized.



In 1977, Coleys unique musical presence earned him the opportunity to

perform with the legendary Hawkins Family. As a singer with Edwin

Hawkins

and later a songwriter and musical director for Tramaine Hawkins, Coley

began to establish a name for himself on a national level. Lead vocal

appearances on several high profile albums with Hawkins family and with

James Clevelands Gospel Music Workshop of America, led to Coleys solo

debut, JUST DARYL, in 1985. The string of award nominations and

chart-topping albums has never ceased.



Daryl Coley has worked with some of the music industrys most talented

artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ramsey Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Richard

Smallwood, Sylvester and Philip Bailey. He has recorded a landmark

collection of more than 100 studio performances, yet his greatest

impact

in the Gospel marketplace has always been the strength of his live

performances. With a simple inflection, a slight change of rhythm, a

split-second decision to emote with great passion or retreat into a

pocket

of vocal coolness, he captures the spirit of music and lyric. In a

live

performance Daryl Coley is entirely in his element, intuitively sensing

the pulse of any audience. His consistent artistry in maximizing the

concert moment remains unrivaled.