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In 1966, Darrell Banks had a number two hit. Four years later, he was dead
Darrell Banks reached number two on the US R&B chart with his 1966 debut single, “Open The Door To Your Heart”, but his recording career was brief and ended with his death four years later. His story matters both as a reminder of a promising soul singer whose work received limited recognition and as a case involving a fatal confrontation with an off-duty police officer.
Banks released seven singles and two albums, moving from Revilot to Atco and then Stax after his follow-up records failed to chart. On 24 February 1970, in Detroit, off-duty officer Aaron Bullock shot Banks during a confrontation involving Banks’s girlfriend, Marjorie Bozeman; Banks later died in hospital, aged 32. The account says Bullock faced no criminal charges, and Banks was buried in an unmarked grave until a memorial was arranged with help from the soulfuldetroit.com website.
In short
- Darrell Banks’ 1966 debut reached number two on the US R&B chart.
- His recording career lasted seven singles and two albums.
- He was fatally shot in Detroit in 1970, aged 32.
Explained simply
Darrell Banks was an American soul singer whose debut single, “Open The Door To Your Heart”, became a major rhythm and blues hit in 1966. He recorded for several labels, including Revilot, Atco and Stax, but his later releases did not match that success.
Banks was 32 when he died in Detroit in 1970 after being shot during a confrontation involving his girlfriend, Marjorie Bozeman, and off-duty police officer Aaron Bullock. Bullock faced no criminal charges, according to the account. The case links Banks’s short career to questions about how his death was handled, while later efforts helped secure a memorial for him.