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Darryl D'Bonneau
The past … How many success stories have you heard that began in Charleston, South
Carolina? When you think of Charleston, you think of the deep south-a port city drenched
in southern tradition and charm. Out of one of those southern traditions, Darryl
D’Bonneau’s star was born. Some of the greatest singers of our day got their
start singing in the southern tradition of the Gospel choir. Divas such as Aretha
Franklin, Candi Staton & Whitney Houston started in church and brought that spirit to
the pop charts and dance floors the world over. So much has been made of the divas, but
what about the men? Darryl D’Bonneau is the latest name to be added to that
prestigious list that includes Sam Cooke, Isaac Hayes & Sylvester. He started singing
at the age of four, but it wasn’t until he was ten years old that his career took off
in earnest. His family moved to New York and his natural singing ability got the attention
of Rev. Jerry Burns. Under his supervision Darryl recorded his first gospel record called,
“Love at Open Door.” Darryl soon brought that spirit to the clubs, where he
quickly developed a following. One day while laying down tracks in the studio,
choreographer Jamale Graves heard him singing and contacted his friend Martha Wash. It was
one of those moments when your life comes full circle, his early musical influences were
in fact Sylvester & Martha Wash on the dance tip and James Cleveland, Shirley Ceasar
& Clara Ward from the gospel world.
The present… Presently, Darryl is helping to create a new fusion by mixing old
soulful R&B vocalizations over a contemporary club sound. This multi-talented singer
has impressed many an audience with his unique voice and commanding stage presence. Over
the years D’Bonneau has released recordings with record labels such as New
Generation, Jellybean, Kult, Nervous & Easy Street. He has collaborated with producers
like Hex Hector, (Deborah Cox, Shannon) & David Sussman. D’Bonneau’s career
has been blessed with having worked with legends such as Martha Wash, Sylvester, Taylor
Dayne & Diana Ross. Looking toward the future… “Stop Playing With My
Mind,” (a duet with Barbara Tucker), scored the number one position on the Billboard
Club Play chart for Strictly Rhythm Records in
February 2000. He is ready to use his experience on TV, (“Tops of the Pops”
& the Arsenio Hall Show), and in the clubs (12 West, Cheetah Bar, Body & Soul,
Limelight & the Shelter), to take his career to the next level on Strictly Rhythm
Records. Look for the Lenny Fontana produced single titled “Pow
Pow Pow,” as Powerhouse feat. Darryl D’Bonneau, coming up next. You may
remember the last Powerhouse release that featured Duane Harden as the vocalist. That
single, “What You Need” was also a #1 Billboard
Club play hit. It looks like another #1 may be in Darryl’s future.
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Whiplash-N-Turner
Whiplash
Jason ( Whiplash ) Hernandez is an unassuming 28 years-old Brooklynite whose young age
belies his verteran status in New York's underground club scene. A Dj for neighborhood
block parties and discos since he was 16. Whiplash caught the ears of top party promoters
and quickly became an in demand DJ in various New York clubs, including Sound Factory Bar,
The System a three years residency at the legendary Copacabana.
Although an early student of Big Apple's distinctive house sound, Whiplash
currently finds his musical inspiration in such international and local artists as Jazz N
Groove, Farley and Heller,Masters at Work,Lenny Fontana, Mousse T. and last but not least
Freddy Turner. A self-taught producer, Whiplash and a few friends were primarily
responsible for launching the exotic "Santera" house sound of the early '90s and
also responsible for the hit track "Gusto's Revenge". In the past few years,
however, his production has become increasingly more concise and powerful,with
hard,streamlined grooves flirting with elements of disco,house,garage and tribal.
Clearly, Hernandez is part of the New York Nu-Skool whose sound is shaped not only by the
many glorious years of house music but also a desire to take the genre to the next level,
creating an exciting sound for the new millennium.
Turner
Freddy Turner is a DJ in the Garage tradition, playing sizzling sets of soulful and
energectic house music, with an ear for the latest sounds that keep this tradition updated
to the minute. Originally from Detroit, he fell in love with music ever since buying
his first 45s as a child, playing them and dancing net to the family hi-fi set. The
impression left by Evelyn King, The Emotions, James Brown and Earth Wind and Fire led to a
life that molded his keen sensitivities to the best dance music has to offer, while
naturally gravitating to producing, remixing and singing.
Having graduated from Osborne High School in 1977, Freddy went to the Art
Instititue of Atlanta to study fashion design. In Atlanta, he saw Grace Jones' very
first club appearance a Club Backstreet. He then went to New York City tothe grand
opening of the Paradise Garage, where he was taken over with the music, the scene and the
famous Larry Levan. He became a member of the garage and moved to New Jersey later
that fall, where he met many people now part of the Jersey house scene, centered aroun
Zanzibar, where the legendary Tony Humphries played.
While going to the Garage and working in the fashion industry, he met numerous people
making music, such as Black Ivory (Mainline), for whom he made costumes. Freddy
frequently visited clubs like the Nickel Bar, Better Days (where he loved Bruce Forrest
"ht turned it out!") and David Cole, of the legendary C+C Music Factory, who
played live organ there, Crisco Disco, Buttermilk Bottom, Bond's (where the supreme Kenny
Carpenter played) and Studio 54. Walter Gibbons (who did the first 12-ince remix, My
Love Is Free, by Double Exposure) was a big influence on Freddy, along with Larry, Bruce,
Tony, Shep Pettipone, Morales and Munzibai.
Freddy's record collection continued to grow relentlessly and, practicing at home, his
Deejayed skills consistently improved. Hired to play in England, he deejayed with
Princess Julia at the Gardening Club (Queer Nation) and Heaven (upstairs with David Drew,
co-owner of Catch-A-Groove Records in London). Stateside, he played gigs at the
Palladium (Michael Todd Room), Red Zone (Thursdays), Tunnel basement (Congo Bill),
Limelight (with Jide Max of Bottom Line Records) and at Club USA on its opening night.
Freddy played on most Saturday nights at Stingray's, duringg 1993 alongside Nelson Dias.
He also played at Zanzibar, and also Save the Robots in New York's Lower East Side.
During that year and since then he has been invited nearly twenty times in
Lausanne, the Grion and CPM Club in Geneva, the grand opening of Bimbo Town in Basel, New
York Club in Neuchatel, Mirabilis in Season, Kaufleuten in Zurich, Antaris in Winterthur
and Industry in Basel. Freddy has also been hired to play in San Francisco, at
venues like the Sound Factory, Spundae, Tilt, Lift, Spread, DV8, the Endup and Pepper.
Since 1991, Freddy has written, with Jorge Clar, countless house record reviews and
profiles on house music personalities like Roger S, Kerri Chandler, Masters At Work, Mood
II Swing, Ultra Nate, Sounds of Blackness, Chicago's Vibe Rcords, and others, published in
the Underground News. Freddy and Jorge now also write for DMC's Update magazine and
Mixmag. Freddy has also done countless radio mix shows in Paris, Italy and
Switzerland.
Freddy's production credits include co-production with Paul Simpson and Adeva on
"Musical Freedom", which went Top 20 in the UK. In the production arena he
has worked with such luminaries as Tommy Musto, Kerri Chandler, Frankie Feliciano and
Jason Hernandez. Freddy is also a powerful and talented vocalist. He has
performed on various projects with producers such as Francois Kevorkian, DJ Duke, DJ
Disciple, Mike Delgado and Reynald "The Crazy Frenchman" Deschamps. He has
also done background vocals with Barbara Tucker, Eddie Stockley, Chevelle Simms, Blue
Jean, Dawn Tallman and Michelle Weeks, to name a few.
"My goal is to educate the dance floor and the people to what house is really about,
and I welcome any challenge to be one of the major forces in the music industry."
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