August Darnell
| August Darnell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas August Darnell Browder |
| Also known as | Kid Creole |
| Born |
August 12, 1950 The Bronx, New York City, USA |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, bandleader, record producer |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Associated acts |
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Kid Creole and the Coconuts |
Thomas August Darnell Browder (born August 12, 1950), known professionally as August Darnell and under the stage name Kid Creole, is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for co-founding Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band and subsequently forming and leading Kid Creole and the Coconuts.
Darnell was born in The Bronx, New York City, USA in 1950. His mother was from South Carolina with Caribbean and Italian parents and his father from Savannah, Georgia. As an adult, Thom Browder began going by his two middle names as August Darnell. Claims in some sources that he was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, are erroneous; according to Darnell they stem from the fictitious back-story behind the Kid Creole character.
Growing up in the melting pot of the Bronx, Darnell was exposed early on to all kinds of music. Darnell began his musical career in a band named The In-Laws with his half-brother, Stony Browder Jr., in 1965. The band disbanded so Darnell could pursue a career as an English teacher. He studied English and drama at Hofstra University, later claiming that he established a musical career because he was a "frustrated actor".
In 1974, again with Stony Browder, he formed Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, becoming its lyricist and bass player. The band combined swing and Latin music with disco rhythms and had its biggest hit in 1976 with "Cherchez La Femme". Their self-titled debut release was a Top 40-charting album which was certified gold and was nominated for a Grammy.
In 1979, Darnell left Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band. He began producing for other artists, such as Don Armando’s Second Avenue Rhumba Band and Gichy Dan’s Beachwood No.9, before adopting the name Kid Creole (adapted from the Elvis Presley film King Creole) in 1980. Darnell described the persona of Kid Creole as "a flamboyant, devil-may-care bon vivant".
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