Background
Darling was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
Darling was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
He was an important influence on the folk scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Inspired by the folk music group The Weavers, in the "50s, he formed The Tunetellers, which evolved into The Tarriers with actor/singer Alan Arkin. Their version of the "Banana Boat Song" reached #4 on the Billboard charts.
In April 1958 Darling replaced Pete Seeger in The Weavers, although he continued working club dates with The Tarriers until November 1959.
Darling also recorded three solo albums. His second solo effort, True Religion for Vanguard in 1961 was influential on younger folkies of the day.
In 1956, he accompanied the Kossoy Sisters on their album, Bowling Green. Additional instrumental work is featured on Banjo Music of the Southern Appalachians (Olympic Records, undated, with Darling"s first name misspelled as "Eric" on the album cover).
Darling left the Weavers in June 1962 to work as a soloist on the emerging coffeehouse circuit.
Undivided mental attention to every aspect of music making and performing is a hallmark of Erik’s work, and I believe some of that rubbed off on medical ”
In 1967, Darling and Paul Bennett were co-credited for writing the song "Babe I"m Gonna Leave You," by Quicksilver Messenger Service, which appears to be a medley of Darling"s 1958 song "Saint John"s River", and Joan Baez"s recording of "Babe I"m Gonna Leave You", originally written by Anne Bredon. He died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina from lymphoma at the age of 74.