"Some people exist, some people live. What haven't I done?" Darryl Cotton 1949-2012
News of someones passing is never easy, neither is news of someone being unwell. But when its someone you have looked up to and adored for quite along time, its gut wrenchingly hard.
On Friday, logging onto facebook as usual I noticed a rest in peace post. It wasn't until I looked it up on the Australian website did it finally sink in. Darryl Cotton had lost his battle with liver cancer aged 62.
Now to most of the people reading this, won't have a clue to who Darryl Cotton is...was, that will take a long time before it finally sinks in. I won't be writing about everything all the newspapers, and news shows have written over the last few days, because it's easy to write the same thing over and over again, but they missed a vital aspect to him, and better yet who all of a sudden kids my age posting heartfelt messages about all over facebook.
I began singing with the Australian Youth Choir, because I wasn't good at anything else, and because unlike everything I had been involved in from swimming to little aths I fitted in straight away. And I loved every part of it! So when it came to my first CD recording with the choir and the notices came out, my parents seemed more excited than I was, some guy called Cotton was to be singing on the CD as well as us. I didn't know who he was, nor did my parents expect we would ever see or meet him. When dad and I got in the car that night I asked dad "Who's Darryl Cotton?" Of which I was told he was a popular singer in the 80's and he was on a show called 'The Early Bird Show' and something about a monster... As a child all I could was, 'oh'. Haha as every child is at almost everything nowadays..
But I turned up at the recording nervous and excited that I was going to be singing on a CD with my choir, that was awesome! Well the older kids were way intimidating down the front in the immaculate uniform they got to wear stating exactly where they were from, here us littlies were dressed in whatever, looking like we had no idea how to brush our hair or our faces, and there the big kids were with shiny shoes, pressed uniforms, ties, yellow ribbons, hair completely off the face, sitting up tall and quiet. Not only that but they had two of the most wonderful people to ever grace our presence. One I recognised as the big kids' conductor all proud and tall himself in his suit, but the guy standing next to him having a good laugh? Who was he? Why isn't he wearing a suit? Jeans, t-shirt, this blonde thick head of hair, with a childish smile. He seemed warm and kind, plus he didn't just speak to the big kids, when we were all shuffled into the big room, this man greeted us, asked us if we were excited, and that he wanted us to have fun.
Turns out Mr Darryl Cotton, 80's music star, host of The Early Bird Show, all round nice guy was standing in front of us! Sharing the excitement of the experience with everyone of us! Now before I went into this room parents everywhere were gushing over their children, pleading them to get a signature, but my dad said 'maybe next year you can get one' Now I wish I had...
At the end of the recording he said goodbye to everyone, wished them well, stopped to sign everything imaginable and not once did he have a look of disgust or disappointment that he was subjected to all of it.
The CD came out and my family and I loved it. The choir sounded brilliant, Darryl was of course magical.
Anyhoo, years came and went and every year Darryl was in that room welcoming people, saying a quick hello, he remembered some of us from the previous years. But there is one of many CD recording memories that I have when I was in about my third of year of being in the choir:
At this particular recording I had finally moved up into the amazing uniform that the big kids got to wear, which was awesome! Shiny shoes, a tie which was really a false tie (It was tied to an elastic band which went around the neck, much easier than constantly having to tie a tie for kids), sleek hair off my face, yellow ribbon and a grin to match. As we file in again we are greeted by almost all the adults in the room, but its this comment that I receive on walking in that I remember the most. Darryl walked past a group of us and asked if we liked our new uniform. None of us had spoken to him or were like best buddies with him, always the kids the exited as quickly as possible the one all the way up the back in our whatever clothes, and he notices after a whole year of not seeing a whole bunch of kids, all looking the same! Well the Uniformed children got to sit further toward the front, we took our seats.. (for all of 2 seconds because the rest of the time we were on our feet singing) but the whole time we were singing this guy named Darryl was walking up and down the front of the seats smiling and dancing at all of us, engaging us, entertaining us, having fun with us.
There was another time when the mood had dropped a bit, choristers had lost the energy they previously had, we were distracted and probably frustrating as anything and while our conductor tried everything he could nothing was back to the standard we'd had at the start of the session... But our conductor never gave in, and while it looked like nothing was going to help us, Darryl started walking up onto this box placed at the bottom of the room and he starts dancing, and pulling funny faces, making strange actions which had us all energised once more. Again he said goodbye, told us he couldn't wait to hear the CD and he'd hope to see us next year. All the while signing things and greeting kids, all with a giant smile spread across his face.
But it wasn't just the recordings as the years passed and I had been in the choir for forever according to the new kids. Darryl would invite us to help him out at performances, and it was never an uncomfortable experience, always greeted with a warm and gentle smile, someone who actually respected who the choir was, how we wanted us to share the 'spotlight' of sorts with us, not just me, me, me. Darryl was a selfless man always looking out for us kids, because as he said once 'It's said in the business working with children and animals isn't ideal. I say that I've enjoyed working with such talented children.'
Darryl Cotton to the AYC, was part of the family, the furniture. He wasn't the 80's music legend, the star of a hit TV show. To us he was the happy go lucky, music is forever, most engaging, wonderful musician ever to grace us with his presence.
In another beautiful memory we had been asked to do a smaller recording of which we said yes to. So in walks in the sound engineer Jason with a bit of gear, and our friend Darryl also carrying a bit of gear, and he decides he wants to sit back for a little while just to hear us rehearse.
This particular song had a few spots for a smaller group of kids to be picked to record an extra part, and I was one of the few, now this was mostly a soprano part and as an alto (very opposite end of the scale) I was super unsure that I would sound good at all regardless of whether I could hit all those high notes without sounding like a strangled cat.
And sure enough right as we went to start actually rehearsing together Darryl had walked around to the front to listen, and we sang, and well it didn't sound too bad, but it was when the smaller group were practising again that Darryl decided to stand closer towards my side & I hit the high notes, and it didn't sound like a strangled cat. Not that that was the exciting part, the best part was when Darryl turned and gave the thumbs up as well as one of his winning mega-watt smile. The best part however was not about what notes I had hit, but once we started recording our parts Jason would play part of the instrumental parts which later on would be the verses Darryl would be singing, and every time they played he'd quickly sing the lyrics to himself.
Your talent still amazes me Darryl. Always will. I'm deeply saddened that we will no longer be able to say hello at our recordings, to never see that maga-watt smile, the humble nature, or enjoy your performances the way we did.
Rest in peace, filled with all things musical. Until we meet again.
Xx
News of someones passing is never easy, neither is news of someone being unwell. But when its someone you have looked up to and adored for quite along time, its gut wrenchingly hard.
On Friday, logging onto facebook as usual I noticed a rest in peace post. It wasn't until I looked it up on the Australian website did it finally sink in. Darryl Cotton had lost his battle with liver cancer aged 62.
Doesn't look it. It was the youthful nature he had that was so engaging.
Now to most of the people reading this, won't have a clue to who Darryl Cotton is...was, that will take a long time before it finally sinks in. I won't be writing about everything all the newspapers, and news shows have written over the last few days, because it's easy to write the same thing over and over again, but they missed a vital aspect to him, and better yet who all of a sudden kids my age posting heartfelt messages about all over facebook.
The Early Bird Show
- Band member of Zoot
- Toured America with Olivia Newton John
- Singer of 'Same old girl'
- TV presenter of The Early Bird Show
- Played Joesph in Joesph and his technicolour dreamcoat
- Performed for 12 years as Cotton, Keays, and Morris (Darryl Cotton, Jim Keyes and Russell Morris)
I began singing with the Australian Youth Choir, because I wasn't good at anything else, and because unlike everything I had been involved in from swimming to little aths I fitted in straight away. And I loved every part of it! So when it came to my first CD recording with the choir and the notices came out, my parents seemed more excited than I was, some guy called Cotton was to be singing on the CD as well as us. I didn't know who he was, nor did my parents expect we would ever see or meet him. When dad and I got in the car that night I asked dad "Who's Darryl Cotton?" Of which I was told he was a popular singer in the 80's and he was on a show called 'The Early Bird Show' and something about a monster... As a child all I could was, 'oh'. Haha as every child is at almost everything nowadays..
But I turned up at the recording nervous and excited that I was going to be singing on a CD with my choir, that was awesome! Well the older kids were way intimidating down the front in the immaculate uniform they got to wear stating exactly where they were from, here us littlies were dressed in whatever, looking like we had no idea how to brush our hair or our faces, and there the big kids were with shiny shoes, pressed uniforms, ties, yellow ribbons, hair completely off the face, sitting up tall and quiet. Not only that but they had two of the most wonderful people to ever grace our presence. One I recognised as the big kids' conductor all proud and tall himself in his suit, but the guy standing next to him having a good laugh? Who was he? Why isn't he wearing a suit? Jeans, t-shirt, this blonde thick head of hair, with a childish smile. He seemed warm and kind, plus he didn't just speak to the big kids, when we were all shuffled into the big room, this man greeted us, asked us if we were excited, and that he wanted us to have fun.
Turns out Mr Darryl Cotton, 80's music star, host of The Early Bird Show, all round nice guy was standing in front of us! Sharing the excitement of the experience with everyone of us! Now before I went into this room parents everywhere were gushing over their children, pleading them to get a signature, but my dad said 'maybe next year you can get one' Now I wish I had...
Cotton, Keays and Morris
At the end of the recording he said goodbye to everyone, wished them well, stopped to sign everything imaginable and not once did he have a look of disgust or disappointment that he was subjected to all of it.
The CD came out and my family and I loved it. The choir sounded brilliant, Darryl was of course magical.
Anyhoo, years came and went and every year Darryl was in that room welcoming people, saying a quick hello, he remembered some of us from the previous years. But there is one of many CD recording memories that I have when I was in about my third of year of being in the choir:
At this particular recording I had finally moved up into the amazing uniform that the big kids got to wear, which was awesome! Shiny shoes, a tie which was really a false tie (It was tied to an elastic band which went around the neck, much easier than constantly having to tie a tie for kids), sleek hair off my face, yellow ribbon and a grin to match. As we file in again we are greeted by almost all the adults in the room, but its this comment that I receive on walking in that I remember the most. Darryl walked past a group of us and asked if we liked our new uniform. None of us had spoken to him or were like best buddies with him, always the kids the exited as quickly as possible the one all the way up the back in our whatever clothes, and he notices after a whole year of not seeing a whole bunch of kids, all looking the same! Well the Uniformed children got to sit further toward the front, we took our seats.. (for all of 2 seconds because the rest of the time we were on our feet singing) but the whole time we were singing this guy named Darryl was walking up and down the front of the seats smiling and dancing at all of us, engaging us, entertaining us, having fun with us.
Zoot- Strange Things 1970
There was another time when the mood had dropped a bit, choristers had lost the energy they previously had, we were distracted and probably frustrating as anything and while our conductor tried everything he could nothing was back to the standard we'd had at the start of the session... But our conductor never gave in, and while it looked like nothing was going to help us, Darryl started walking up onto this box placed at the bottom of the room and he starts dancing, and pulling funny faces, making strange actions which had us all energised once more. Again he said goodbye, told us he couldn't wait to hear the CD and he'd hope to see us next year. All the while signing things and greeting kids, all with a giant smile spread across his face.
But it wasn't just the recordings as the years passed and I had been in the choir for forever according to the new kids. Darryl would invite us to help him out at performances, and it was never an uncomfortable experience, always greeted with a warm and gentle smile, someone who actually respected who the choir was, how we wanted us to share the 'spotlight' of sorts with us, not just me, me, me. Darryl was a selfless man always looking out for us kids, because as he said once 'It's said in the business working with children and animals isn't ideal. I say that I've enjoyed working with such talented children.'
Darryl Cotton, Jim Keays and Morris- Elenor Rigby
Darryl Cotton to the AYC, was part of the family, the furniture. He wasn't the 80's music legend, the star of a hit TV show. To us he was the happy go lucky, music is forever, most engaging, wonderful musician ever to grace us with his presence.
In another beautiful memory we had been asked to do a smaller recording of which we said yes to. So in walks in the sound engineer Jason with a bit of gear, and our friend Darryl also carrying a bit of gear, and he decides he wants to sit back for a little while just to hear us rehearse.
This particular song had a few spots for a smaller group of kids to be picked to record an extra part, and I was one of the few, now this was mostly a soprano part and as an alto (very opposite end of the scale) I was super unsure that I would sound good at all regardless of whether I could hit all those high notes without sounding like a strangled cat.
And sure enough right as we went to start actually rehearsing together Darryl had walked around to the front to listen, and we sang, and well it didn't sound too bad, but it was when the smaller group were practising again that Darryl decided to stand closer towards my side & I hit the high notes, and it didn't sound like a strangled cat. Not that that was the exciting part, the best part was when Darryl turned and gave the thumbs up as well as one of his winning mega-watt smile. The best part however was not about what notes I had hit, but once we started recording our parts Jason would play part of the instrumental parts which later on would be the verses Darryl would be singing, and every time they played he'd quickly sing the lyrics to himself.
The Early Bird show- Darryl Cotton, Marie Van Maaren and Marty Monster
Darryl wasn't just a 80's music legend and a host of a children's TV show. To myself and I can say quite of few of my choir friends. Darryl Cotton was a beautiful man, with a strength and good nature not to be compared to with anyone. For someone who gave so much to us, not just in his mega-watt smile or letting us join him in performances, but for always encourging us kids to never give up on music, because regardless it will be with you forever.Your talent still amazes me Darryl. Always will. I'm deeply saddened that we will no longer be able to say hello at our recordings, to never see that maga-watt smile, the humble nature, or enjoy your performances the way we did.
Darryl Cotton- Same Old Girl
So Thankyou. For being part of small minority or people willing to work with children. For that bright brillant soul. And mostly for being the most amazing musician I will ever know.Rest in peace, filled with all things musical. Until we meet again.
Xx
Hi, I am Darryl"s wife. At this very sad time of the year (for me) I was absolutely delighted to read this. Thank you for "seeing" him for all that he was, and had to offer.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you got to read this, I do hope it gave you some comfort at this time. He was always so kind towards us as kids and it was an honour to know him even in small doses.
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