“He’s a rebel,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” \ “Wait Til’ My Bobby Gets Home,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”—if Darlene Love had sung lead only on these five songs and then disappeared from public view, she still would be counted among the finest female vocalists in sixties pop music.
But Love sang much more than just those five songs. Her story is the complex tale of a “singers singer” one whose sound has been far more familiar to the mass audience than her face or her name. Only after years of struggle did a combination of abiding faith, courageous determination, and sheer talent propel her into the solo spotlight.
Photography: Janet Macoska