A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Darrell was exposed to the sounds of Jazz at an early age. His interest in playing drums exploded in lockstep with the dawning of Beatlemania and matured as the grooves of James Brown and the Motown sound entered his life.

Beginning with private lessons around age 10, Darrell evolved to playing in middle school orchestras and was invited to sit in at jam sessions with the “grown up Jazz cats”.

Influenced by Funk and Rock phenoms Jimi Hendrix, Funkadelic, and Sly and the Family Stone, Darrell played in several local R&B, Funk, Fusion, and Jazz bands around the Greater Pittsburgh area throughout his teens and early twenties. Captivated by the sights and sounds of Earth, Wind, and Fire seeing them perform for the first time in 1973 was life-changing for this young drummer as they became the prototype for every band in town. Their energy and precision is what every musician and band would strive to emulate, especially Darrell.

Soon after moving to the Delaware/Maryland/Virginia region in 1981, Darrell gradually became immersed into the local music scene. By 2009, he soon became a member of several top performing bands, and as a first-call sideman, performed several times a month. A sought-after drummer, Darrell has dedicated his life to family, music performance and production that has allowed him to constantly play with a diverse collective of Jazz, Funk and Blues musicians.