Darryl Purpose
Encyclopedia
Darryl Purpose is an American singer-songwriter
folk
musician
, known for his narrative (often very personal) lyrics and fingerstyle guitar. Before becoming a professional musician, Purpose was a professional blackjack
player and was known as one of the best in the world. In 1986, Purpose walked across the USA with The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament and then a year later in the former Soviet Union
. In 1996, he became a "full-time folk singer" who "hit the folk scene...with an unusually eclectic resume that provided him with a wealth of compelling stories to tell."
, he witnessed how the people would alter guitars that were falling apart in order to still be able to play music. To the end of assisting struggling musicians across the globe, Darryl Purpose and Kevin Deame announced the beginning of The Second Strings Project in 1999. They collect used guitar strings from artists in the United States
and distribute them to needy musicians around the world.
An especially gifted melodist, Purpose has often collaborated on songs primarily with two lyricists, both who are authors as well as songwriters: Robert Morgan Fisher, with whom he wrote "Mr. Schwinn" among other songs, and Paul Zollo, with whom he wrote the Chavez Ravine tale "Crooked Line," as well as "California (Rutherford Hayes In The Morning)," "Baltimore," "Sunny's House," and "The Ghost of Crazy Horse."
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, known for his narrative (often very personal) lyrics and fingerstyle guitar. Before becoming a professional musician, Purpose was a professional blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
player and was known as one of the best in the world. In 1986, Purpose walked across the USA with The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament and then a year later in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1996, he became a "full-time folk singer" who "hit the folk scene...with an unusually eclectic resume that provided him with a wealth of compelling stories to tell."
Outreach
While in the former Soviet Union, Purpose took note of the many talented musicians playing instruments that were unfit for their level of expertise and left several guitars with them. Later, in El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, he witnessed how the people would alter guitars that were falling apart in order to still be able to play music. To the end of assisting struggling musicians across the globe, Darryl Purpose and Kevin Deame announced the beginning of The Second Strings Project in 1999. They collect used guitar strings from artists in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and distribute them to needy musicians around the world.
An especially gifted melodist, Purpose has often collaborated on songs primarily with two lyricists, both who are authors as well as songwriters: Robert Morgan Fisher, with whom he wrote "Mr. Schwinn" among other songs, and Paul Zollo, with whom he wrote the Chavez Ravine tale "Crooked Line," as well as "California (Rutherford Hayes In The Morning)," "Baltimore," "Sunny's House," and "The Ghost of Crazy Horse."
Discography
- 1996: Right Side of Zero
- 1997: Same River Twice
- 1999: Travelers' Code
- 2001: A Crooked Line
- 2002: The Gift of the Magi (and other seasonal stories)
- 2005: Live At Coalesce CD/DVD
External links
- Darryl Purpose
- "Darryl Purpose: The Cards He's Dealt" by Annette C. Eshleman, Dirty Linen, 93, April/May 2001
- [ Darryl Purpose Biography] by Evan Cater, Allmusic
- Review: Darryl Purpose - A Crooked Line by George Graham, The Graham Weekly Album Review #1252
- Review: Darryl Purpose - The Travelers Code by Rick Russell, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, 2000
- Second Strings Project