Darlene Love

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart?
He's A Rebel

Darlene Love was an actress, member of The Blossoms and Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans. All the above were played at the embryonic soul venues in Manchester (Twisted Wheel Brazennose Street, Oasis and  Manchester Cavern etc among others.
Her solo songs include Bob B Soxx And The Blue Jean's (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry (1963) and Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home (1963). Bobby was Bobby Sheen (Dr Love). She sang the lead for the Crystals' He's A Rebel (1962) and He's Sure The Boy I Love (1963).



It was Phil Spector who contracted Darlene Love to  sing the lead on a version of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, a children's song from the 1940 Walt Disney film, Song Of The South.  In 1962 it became a top 10 hit over Christmas in both the US and the UK with Darlene Love and Fanita James, (session singers) who became the Blue Jeans. They released two more Bob B Soxx singles in 1963, Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart? Not Too Young To Get Married. Dalene Love sang the lead.
 


Darlene Wright was born July 26, 1941 in Los Angeles, California.

The Blossoms did their backing singing in Los Angeles and one significant track was supporting Bobby 'Boris' Pickett for the Monster Mash then for James Darren on Goodbye Cruel World. The Blossoms toured with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s.
She sang backing vocals for Dionne Warwick for ten years beginning in 1971 and for Aretha Franklin.

In the Eighties Darlene appeared in the Lethal Weapon films and in 1995 she won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award.

On March 7, 1997 a jury awarded her in excess of $263,000 for non paid back royalties owed from Phil Spector.