Darondo

William Daron Pulliam (October 5, 1946 – June 9, 2013), who performed in the 1970s under the name Darondo, was an American soul singer from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Life and career Darondo was born in 1946 in Berkeley, California. As a child, Darondo began enjoying rhythm and blues after his mother purchased him a guitar.

At the beginning of his career, Darondo met jazz pianist Al Tanner, who suggested the singer record something in the studio. That suggestion resulted in the single "I Want Your Love So Bad", which got Darondo noticed by Ray Dobard, the owner of record label Music City. Darondo collaborated with Tanner on songs at Dobard's studio, releasing three records from 1972 to 1974. One particular single, "Didn't I", ended up selling 35,000 copies and was played extensively on local radio. It was speculated that Darondo was a pimp, though he denied this claim.

Towards the late 1970s, Darondo stepped away from music, partially due to being engaged in a financial dispute with Dobard and Music City. However, realizing that he needed time away from other people to stop his self-admitted cocaine dependence, Darondo made the decision to leave for Europe. and included the song on a 2005 compilation album called Gilles Peterson Digs America.

Recordings of Darondo are available from Luv N Haight, an imprint label of Ubiquity Records.

In popular culture

"Didn't I"

Music and compilations Covered by Jack Peñate on his Spit at Stars EP (2007). Included on a Late Night Tales compilation mixed by Bonobo (2013). Covered by HONNE on their EP Coastal Love (2015). Sampled by producer Harry Fraud for his single “The Count,” featuring Wiz Khalifa and Currensy (2018).

Television Featured in an episode of Breaking Bad (2008). Used as the ending theme in an episode of Lovesick (2013). Featured in the premiere episode of The Blacklist and in season one of HBO's The Deuce (2017). Featured in the Hulu series High Fidelity (2020). Closed the fourth episode of the Scottish television drama Guilt, produced by the BBC and aired on Masterpiece Mystery, and the tenth episode of the second season of the FXX comedy series Dave (2021). Used in Episode 5 of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (2024). Used in Episode 6 of Ironheart (2025).

Film and video Featured in the films Saint John of Las Vegas, Night Catches Us, and Jack Goes Boating (2010). Featured in the film Chinese Puzzle, the third installment of the Spanish Apartment trilogy, starring Romain Duris (2013). Appeared in the New Element video Future Nature (2010).

Other songs "Legs" was featured in an episode of the American version of Life on Mars (2009).

Personal life In the 1980s, Darondo met his wife, Prem, in Fiji.

Discography Let My People Go, Ubiquity Records, 2006 Listen to My Song, the Music City Sessions, Omnivore Recordings, 2011