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My Name Is Love
Featured in the film Twenty Feet From Stardom , the woman whose voice the New York Times said "is as embedded in the history of rock 'n' roll as Eric Clapton's guitar and Bob Dylan's lyrics" tells her story Right out of high school, Darlene Love began singing lead vocals for legendary producer Phil Spector, cutting such classic hits as the number one "He's a Rebel," "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "He's Sure the Boy I Love." As part of the girl group the Blossoms, she held a regular spot on television's Shindig! , and with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans she toured the country. Later, she sang backup—and collected numerous scintillating backstage stories—with, among others, Dionne Warwick, the Mamas and the Papas, and Sonny and Cher. Now in My Name Is Love , Darlene is ready to tell her tales about Elvis coming on to her backstage during his famous '68 Comeback Special, about wild parties she witnessed at Tom Jones's house, and about her love affair with Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers. She also recalls how she found herself cleaning houses in Beverly Hills, heard herself on the radio, and vowed to make a comeback. That comeback has included roles in all of the Lethal Weapon movies, starring roles on Broadway, and headlining concert appearances worldwide. A dishy, behind-the-scenes showbiz memoir, My Name Is Love is also the inspiring story of a woman who refused to give up.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 1998
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266 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 28, 2013
I had the good luck of meeting Darlene Love at a Q&A for the documentary "20 Feet From Stardom" and this reads like she sounded - charmingly down to earth and with a great sense of humor. I enjoyed her candor and the behind the curtain look at the music business.
August 23, 2020
Darlene Love was born Darlene Wright in the early 1940s in Los Angeles. Her father was a Pentecostal minister and her mother cleaned houses for white people. This left young Darlene with lots of responsibilities at home, something she resented at times. The family also moved to Texas for a while, when Jim Crow was alive and well, and all were happy when they moved back to California. Regardless of where she lived, however, Darlene Wright adapted and always sang. Joining a girl group called the Blossoms changed her life, when the group went on to record with Phil Spector, starting in 1962. (He was the one who suggested the stage name "Darlene Love".) They were the first black women background singing group around at the time and became the most successful.
Their success was both due to Phil Spector and in spite of Phil Spector. Even back at that time Mr. Spector was somewhat strange, and he also had no problem not giving credit due to whoever deserved it, such as Darlene Love. She was the one who actually sang “He’s A Rebel”, not the Crystals. They were touring with Gene Pitney, and not available to record on the west coast. Ms. Love was available. When she finally stopped working with Phil Spector, she was relieved; but years later her contract with someone else was sold to him, and back she was with him for a while. This book was published in 1998, years before Mr. Spector was sent to prison for shooting an actress one night in his home, so there is nothing on that. Yet when Ms. Love had to meet up with him again at his home, she called it a creepy place and said he had a gun, and she demanded he put away the gun or she was leaving. (Smart woman!) Later on, she would sue him for royalties and won the court case.
There are lots of stories in the interesting memoir about others Darlene Love worked with, such as Dionne Warwick, Elvis, the Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones (yuck!), Johnny Rivers, etc. While she did get top billing at times throughout her life, she seemed destined to be in the background much of her singing career. Ms. Love wasn’t bitter about it in the book, but she did wonder at times why big breaks that should have materialized failed to do so. The memoir is indeed written in a very honest manner. Ms. Love clearly states many times she preferred to be on the road singing, than at home with her sons, at least the two oldest ones. Others were raising them, and she has some regrets about that, but doesn’t beat herself up about the matter. At one point in her life when singing jobs were not paying the bills, she also worked as a maid cleaning houses for wealthy people.
All in all, the book is a very thorough look at Darlene Love’s life up to the time of publication, and it never got boring. There was always something going on, with stories about famous and not famous individuals. If you are the type of reader who likes dirt in their celebrity memoirs, there is definitely some dirt in here, but Ms. Love doesn’t dish it out in a hateful way. She just describes the facts about what was going on at the time. She has no problem judging the talent or lack of talent of other singers, either. In addition, in one chapter she brings up how black women entertainers so often have their claws out ready to shred other black women entertainers, such as commenting on what others are wearing. Finally, throughout her life, religion does play an important role. She is most definitely the daughter of a minister, although most definitely no saint. She indeed feels guilt about things, but she always has faith, and feels the love and care of God.
Their success was both due to Phil Spector and in spite of Phil Spector. Even back at that time Mr. Spector was somewhat strange, and he also had no problem not giving credit due to whoever deserved it, such as Darlene Love. She was the one who actually sang “He’s A Rebel”, not the Crystals. They were touring with Gene Pitney, and not available to record on the west coast. Ms. Love was available. When she finally stopped working with Phil Spector, she was relieved; but years later her contract with someone else was sold to him, and back she was with him for a while. This book was published in 1998, years before Mr. Spector was sent to prison for shooting an actress one night in his home, so there is nothing on that. Yet when Ms. Love had to meet up with him again at his home, she called it a creepy place and said he had a gun, and she demanded he put away the gun or she was leaving. (Smart woman!) Later on, she would sue him for royalties and won the court case.
There are lots of stories in the interesting memoir about others Darlene Love worked with, such as Dionne Warwick, Elvis, the Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones (yuck!), Johnny Rivers, etc. While she did get top billing at times throughout her life, she seemed destined to be in the background much of her singing career. Ms. Love wasn’t bitter about it in the book, but she did wonder at times why big breaks that should have materialized failed to do so. The memoir is indeed written in a very honest manner. Ms. Love clearly states many times she preferred to be on the road singing, than at home with her sons, at least the two oldest ones. Others were raising them, and she has some regrets about that, but doesn’t beat herself up about the matter. At one point in her life when singing jobs were not paying the bills, she also worked as a maid cleaning houses for wealthy people.
All in all, the book is a very thorough look at Darlene Love’s life up to the time of publication, and it never got boring. There was always something going on, with stories about famous and not famous individuals. If you are the type of reader who likes dirt in their celebrity memoirs, there is definitely some dirt in here, but Ms. Love doesn’t dish it out in a hateful way. She just describes the facts about what was going on at the time. She has no problem judging the talent or lack of talent of other singers, either. In addition, in one chapter she brings up how black women entertainers so often have their claws out ready to shred other black women entertainers, such as commenting on what others are wearing. Finally, throughout her life, religion does play an important role. She is most definitely the daughter of a minister, although most definitely no saint. She indeed feels guilt about things, but she always has faith, and feels the love and care of God.
June 7, 2009
This was a fun, quick read. She was known as a straight talker back in the day, and the same holds true here. The writing style is conversational, as are most bios of stars of her variety. It is amazing to behold the stars that she sang with/for. She gives a great perspective on Phil Spector during their recording days, and tells a great story about him at some point in the 80s when he gathered all of the people from his heyday for a dinner. After making Ellie Greenwich cry about her "Leader of the Pack" show not translating to Broadway, Darlene gives him a tongue-lashing. She writes "Lord, why am I still the only one who can talk back to this man?" Other notable celebrity stories include almost making out with Elvis in his trailer during the filming of "Change of Habit". Or John Wayne mistakes Darlene and her sister Edna Wright (of Honey Cone) for maids at their Las Vegas hotel. And being indentured to Dionne Warwick for the ten years between her Bacharach hits and "That's What Friends Are For".
December 28, 2013
Ya'gotta love Love
Darlene Love has a voice we've all heard. But you may not realize how much until after reading this book about one of the most in-demand backup singers in the music biz who has also found her moments in the center stage spotlights.
This is her life story and even on paper (or in my case, eBook) her words ring with the same feelings and emotions she conveys in her vocal prowess. Her journey through a half century in the music biz is filled with so many ups and downs it's almost hard to keep track of all her achievements and disappointments. She describes it all in detail starting with her earliest childhood memories in Southern California and first experiences with racial discrimination after a move to Texas. Then launches her career as a member of The Blossoms, pop music's longest-running girl group, and her first No 1 single, He's A Rebel. Especially interesting are her insights about working with producer Phil Spector and struggle to gain recognition and restitution for the classic songs he released with her voice under alias names including He's A Rebel, which is credited to The Crystals.
As a long time music fan, this book brought back a lot of great music memories. Her voice has been on more number one hits than anyone else's and she shares her experiences with many of the top names she's worked with over the decades. You root for her successes and feel the heartache when other singers such as her friends Cher, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick catch breaks that propel them into superstar careers. But her drive to do what she loves keeps her going to this day.
It's a tradition to watch Darlene Love sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" every holiday season on The David Letterman Show. She's a star, but there's a lot more behind the woman than just a big voice and that's what this book is all about.
Darlene Love has a voice we've all heard. But you may not realize how much until after reading this book about one of the most in-demand backup singers in the music biz who has also found her moments in the center stage spotlights.
This is her life story and even on paper (or in my case, eBook) her words ring with the same feelings and emotions she conveys in her vocal prowess. Her journey through a half century in the music biz is filled with so many ups and downs it's almost hard to keep track of all her achievements and disappointments. She describes it all in detail starting with her earliest childhood memories in Southern California and first experiences with racial discrimination after a move to Texas. Then launches her career as a member of The Blossoms, pop music's longest-running girl group, and her first No 1 single, He's A Rebel. Especially interesting are her insights about working with producer Phil Spector and struggle to gain recognition and restitution for the classic songs he released with her voice under alias names including He's A Rebel, which is credited to The Crystals.
As a long time music fan, this book brought back a lot of great music memories. Her voice has been on more number one hits than anyone else's and she shares her experiences with many of the top names she's worked with over the decades. You root for her successes and feel the heartache when other singers such as her friends Cher, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick catch breaks that propel them into superstar careers. But her drive to do what she loves keeps her going to this day.
It's a tradition to watch Darlene Love sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" every holiday season on The David Letterman Show. She's a star, but there's a lot more behind the woman than just a big voice and that's what this book is all about.
October 15, 2018
An American pop music treasure
I learned about the career of Darlene Love after watching the documentary "Twenty Feet from Stardom". I had no idea that she was that voice behind much of the soundtrack of my childhood. Her autobiography was a great story.
I learned about the career of Darlene Love after watching the documentary "Twenty Feet from Stardom". I had no idea that she was that voice behind much of the soundtrack of my childhood. Her autobiography was a great story.
December 13, 2020
Darlene Love had an interesting life. She sang for Phil Spector and dealt with his crazy. Her ups and downs read like the roller coaster they are. She has a tale of redemption that she shares and it is encouraging to see how she overcame a lot of adversity. A good read for music lovers.
October 10, 2013
Interesting to read Darlene Love's story especially after seeing the movie/documentary "20 feet from stardom".
October 12, 2019
#126 of 140 books pledged to read during 2019
December 24, 2020
Thinking back to a career-spanning concert shortly before she published her book, Darlene Love remembers, "When I sang 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' and realized that I had become, with all the Christmas songs I'd introduced over the years, an official voice of the day of the Lord's birth, I thanked Him for that opportunity."
With that important thank-you signed, sealed, and delivered, the rest of us can do our part and thank Ms. Love. I reviewed My Name Is Love for The Current.
With that important thank-you signed, sealed, and delivered, the rest of us can do our part and thank Ms. Love. I reviewed My Name Is Love for The Current.
July 5, 2020
Light but fun autobiography of a warm, talented singer, with a personal life just as messy as any normal person. It moves along well, and the collaboration with co-author Rob Hoerburger (a terrific writer himself) is seamless. The reason I didn't rate it higher is that it's so frustrating! Ms. Love makes some unfortunate decisions and it's hard not to reach into the book and argue with her. Worth reading as part of American cultural history, for sure.
June 19, 2019
Eye opening auto biography of this talented popular singer.
March 12, 2024
Love Darlene Love! This is a very honest story of her life, through the 1990’s.
February 15, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Darlene’s story. This book is very well written and worth the read!!
August 28, 2015
After singing lead vocal on the number one single "He's a Rebel," in 1962 (recorded under the name the Crystals), 21-year-old Love hoped that her producer, Phil Spector, would nurse her talent into stardom. Unfortunately for Love, Spector believed vocals were just one more cog in his musical Wall of Sound. Although she sang classics like "Today I Met the Boy I'm Going to Marry" and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," by 1964 Love was well on her way to becoming "the most overqualified backup singer in the business."
Hers is a sassy tale of a revered industry survivor who has watched contemporaries such as Tina, Aretha and Cher score comebacks while she sings backup for them. After 30 lucrative years literally singing in the background, she hoped for a revival of her own. Considered a relic in her 40s, she had to resort to cleaning houses to pay the rent. Cruise-ship gigs and a couple of failed musicals (Leader of the Pack and Carrie) brought her attention but no recording contract. While a comeback still eludes the singer, her story has a happy ending: in 1997, a New York jury awarded her $263,000 in back royalties from Spector. Years of touring with Dionne Warwick ("always a patsy for the tea-leaf readers of the world") and Tom Jones ("the conveyor belt [of women] to his room) offer her a cavalcade of stars to dissect, dote on or skewer in illuminating, entertaining portraits.
Her sardonic observations border on the hilarious. Love is not afraid to speak her mind, and co-author Rob Hoerburger has polished those anecdotes to perfection
Hers is a sassy tale of a revered industry survivor who has watched contemporaries such as Tina, Aretha and Cher score comebacks while she sings backup for them. After 30 lucrative years literally singing in the background, she hoped for a revival of her own. Considered a relic in her 40s, she had to resort to cleaning houses to pay the rent. Cruise-ship gigs and a couple of failed musicals (Leader of the Pack and Carrie) brought her attention but no recording contract. While a comeback still eludes the singer, her story has a happy ending: in 1997, a New York jury awarded her $263,000 in back royalties from Spector. Years of touring with Dionne Warwick ("always a patsy for the tea-leaf readers of the world") and Tom Jones ("the conveyor belt [of women] to his room) offer her a cavalcade of stars to dissect, dote on or skewer in illuminating, entertaining portraits.
Her sardonic observations border on the hilarious. Love is not afraid to speak her mind, and co-author Rob Hoerburger has polished those anecdotes to perfection
February 19, 2019
So great: this is an American memoir in mid-career, from twenty years ago! Since then, in addition to other wonderful work, she appeared in this fine documentary, Twenty Feet from Stardom, here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/ Now, I want to hear more of this great voice...
I google her "Christmas Please Come Home" every year. Post links to more great Darlene Love singing!
Highly recommended.
I google her "Christmas Please Come Home" every year. Post links to more great Darlene Love singing!
Highly recommended.
July 23, 2014
It is good to find out the back story about why Darlene Love did not become more well known until David Letterman and Paul Schaffer brought her in for the special Christmas song each year. She is clearly a fine singer, but in the days before American Idol, you needed connections, apparently. Very interesting read, and she is not shy about sharing her true feelings!
July 8, 2015
Darlene Love, who sang back-up (and sometimes lead) on countless classic-era pop songs, provides a candid (and often frank) account of her life in the music industry. While more interpersonal than technical, this is absolutely recommended for anyone interested in Brill Building-era songwriting and Wrecking Crew-era recording.
January 27, 2014
Its a shame that our society does not want real singers anymore and the put up
with all these so call singers. I wish her the best in life and would recommend this
book to people who like to read about the tough times of how everybody didn't make it
as a singer.
with all these so call singers. I wish her the best in life and would recommend this
book to people who like to read about the tough times of how everybody didn't make it
as a singer.
December 20, 2013
Fantastic read. I really enjoyed reading this book. a real musical history journey is presented here and I loved Darlene's voice and positive attitude. I wish her all the best and another hit record.
February 14, 2016
never received a copy
January 6, 2016
Really inspiring and enjoyable! Flew through it and makes listening to hear amazing voice even better. I wanna be Darlene Love when I grow up!
April 9, 2016
Well-written and very interesting. This woman sang on just about every top 40 hit in the early 60's. She sang on "Monster Mash"!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews