Larry Darnell

Larry Darnell was born Leo Edward Donald in Columbus, OH, on December 21, 1928, and achieved local fame as a gospel singer at the tender age of 11. When he was 15 he left home to tour as a dancer with a burlesque road show, Irwin C. Miller's Brownskin Models. Underpaid and even underfed when company funds were low, Donald did not hesitate when offered a steady gig in New Orleans as a singer at the famous Dew Drop Inn, a feature spot for Afro-American entertainment. He stayed on for several years, changing his name to Larry Darnell and gradually developing a persona that began ...