Her singing career started way back in school, joining various groups and then forming her own all girl group called Mosaic.
Gilly also started to perform solo at local folk clubs in her home town of Coventry, she was still only 14.
Gilly was a rebellious pupil and left school as soon as was possible, to join an Irish showband of all things. She had a great time learning the ropes, and was well chaperoned by the boys in the band.
Gilly then answered an advert in the "Melody Maker" for girl singers to form an English equivalent of the "Three Degrees".
Gilly got the job, though still only 16, and along with two others
underwent the star treatment doled out by "MCA" records and
"Bell" records. However, as with a lot of these record
company fiascos,(at one point Gilly was the only one singing all of
the parts and the other two were just to create a three girl image),
it all went botty up and Gilly was once again
solo.
Gilly returned to the folk scene not much older,but certainly a
little wiser!
She then met up with a band called "Street Band"
who were about to go over to Europe to busk for the summer.
Gilly went with them and had a fantastic time, even though
she was arrested
twice (busking was illegal then). Once again the band split up
and Gilly returned to England as a
soloist. The band returned without her, took on Maartin Allcock
as bass player and became known as "One Eyed Jacks".
An amazing thing then happened....Gilly heard a duo called "
Waterfall", Keith Donnelly and Martyn Oram, perform at the Lanchester Poly in Coventry.
She fell in love with the songs immediately, most of them being
written by one of the duo, Keith Donnelly. One in particular,
a song called "Swan Song" is still her favorite song 20 years on.
This started a new chapter in Gilly's life and career,and a partnership with Keith that lasted
for nearly 20 years.Though they no longer perform together Gilly
and Keith
are still great friends, and Gilly still performs a lot of his
material.
Initially the band were a trio.
They became very popular on the folk scene both here and abroad.
A highlight at this time was to open Cambridge Festival
on Main Stage1. Gilly remembers it particularly well as
she had taken up
skydiving and had to be helped on stage with crutches due
to a slightly mistimed landing! Ouch!! Needless to say all of her
landings since then have been perfect!!
Waterfall toured constantly throughout Europe and
further afield, including trips to Belize, Cyprus and the Falklands
(where Gilly was given a Byron name after her 4th visit to "
Byron Heights"....S.N.A.T.C.H......and if you want to know what
it stands for you will have to ask Gilly in person!) to entertain the
troops.
They also did a T.V. special for the BBC called "This
Is Waterfall." Definitely worth seeing for the ridiculous outfits
that they came up with on a shopping spree in London!
It was during this time that the trio released two albums to
much acclaim, "Three Birds" produced by Johnny Coppin,
and "Beneath The Stars" produced by Phillip Goodhand-Tait.
However, life on the road once again took it's toll and
Martyn Oram, the third member of the band left to pursue a
solo career.
Gilly and Keith toyed with several new names
and for a while were called "Little Aeroplane",
releasing an album of the same name, this time produced by
Richard Digance. Then they changed the name again and became
"Nothing By Chance", the name of a Richard Bach book
that Gilly was reading at the time.
Once again
a new chapter began as "Nothing By Chance" were taken
on by Jasper Carrotts' management company, after a succesful tour
with him.
They went on to support such
noticeables as Van Morrison, The Hollies, and Tori Amos, to name
but a few. During which time they appeared at almost every major
venue throughout Britain and Ireland, with numerous T.V. appearances,
including several on "Pebble Mill At One".
They were
spotted by a BBC producer whilst doing a Phil Cool support, who
loved what he saw and wanted to turn them into huge, and I mean
huuuwwwwwwwwg T.V. stars.
They had their own T.V. special for
the Beeb which received critical acclaim,
(a clip was shown on "Points of View")
and was swiftly shown again at a prime time on BBC1.
Gilly and Keith then spent 6 months working with the people at
BBC Pebble Mill on a six part series. At the last minute politics
between London and Pebble Mill meant that the TV series was vetoed.
Ah well, these things happen!
Undaunted Gilly and Keith then made an album called "Ghosts Of Love". The album was produced by John "Bonny" Acock and Mick Dolan at Stevie Winwoods fantastic studio down in Gloucestershire, and features many fine guest musicians including Phil Beer of "Show of Hands" fame and Al Marnie, bass player with Chris de Burgh, This was swiftly taken up by "Chrysalis" records (or as Gilly once mispronounced during a live interview..Clisoris Records eeek!). Nothing By Chance were in business again, and started a 90 date country wide tour in their own right. The album was receiving rave reviews, and receiving radio 1 and 2 air play. We've made it! they thought, but oh no! "Chrysalis" were being bought out by big bad nasties "EMI", Nothing By Chance became tiny, tiny fishes in a huge sea, got sucked through some other fishes gills, and ceased to exist!
Ah well, these things happen,!!
Nothing By Chance carried on for a while, but with the dissolution of their management company, and Keith turning his very talented hand more and more towards comedy, Gilly felt that the time had come to change direction.
So she turned Due South and once again set off on a solo career.
And here she still is. Singing her little socks off (size 4),
the socks not the mouth, at every venue that will have her. Including some of the major festivals around the world.
Gilly has an astonishing range to her voice and, as many people have remarked, can sing just about anything. Her first solo CD "One", is really a showcase CD, trying to show some of these differing sides to her voice, though mostly aimed at the "folk scene". It was recorded totally live at the famous Red Lion folk club in Kings Heath, Birmingham. The infamous Jim Mcphee who ran the Red Lion F.C. signed Gilly up for his agency, Acorn Entertainments, as soon as he heard her doing a resident spot at the club. This is what he had to say about her first appearance there:
She had everyone so captivated that-
1. I forgot to start recording untill she'd nearly finished the first set.
2. The audience were spellbound - you could hear a pin drop.
3.The latecomers entered the room and stood silently, transfixed until she'd finished her song - AND THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!
4. I forgot to start the recording for her second set.
All in all I was so gobsmacked that I said I would try and get her some work.
Unfortunately Jim underwent a major operation and decided to end the agency.
Gilly incorporates many different genres of music into her sets, believing that a beautiful song is a beautiful song no matter what genre it comes from, and that if she believes the words the audience will too. With her ability to "feel" a song and to pass that feeling on to her audience, genre is often transcended.
Her haunting voice was used for the title track, and incidental music for the BBC drama "The Tennant Of Wildfell Hall" which has been shown worldwide, and by the same composer, Richard G. Mitchel, for a video of the World Cup,(The Coupe de la Gloire-also available on CD) during which he referred to her as Gilly te Kanawa!! Listen out for her Kiri impression on track 6, "Sunday Prayer".
|  |
At a brief appearance at Cropredy Y2K,joining Eddie Reader(Fairground Attraction), Anna Ryder,and David Hughes for the "Keith Donnelly and Friends" session, Dave Pegg said "she sang like an angel."
A fan left a message in her guest book saying that her performance of Keiths song "The Killing Time", was "the most powerful 3 minutes of performance he'd ever heard".
 | At the backstage party after this years Cropredy (2001) Gilly was found still jamming with the fantastic blues band "Sugarland Slim" (amongst others, including Maart Allcock and Dave Pegg) untill 7 am. So anyone who happened to see her about 2 hours later searching for a nice hot cuppa, that explains the hair!!! |
| Gilly has joined up with Maart Allcock for some gigs. The few they have done so far have really taken the audience by storm, including The Mill, Banbury, Godiva Festival, Coventry, and Warwick Festivals. |  |
The demo Maart and Gilly did for the BBC producer was made MP3 of the month for October 2001 on Folking.com This is what they wrote...
MP3 Of The Month...Gilly Darbey- "Ain't No Use Baby"
"Dim the lights,
I want to set the scene.
It's August and we're at the Cropredy festival,
Fairport Convention has just gone off stage and the chatter of well
contented, happy people are all around us. Most people are heading
out of the main site for either their tents or transport home.
We're not leaving the field - We're going to wait for something
magical to happen. We walk to the left hand of the stage and pass
through the security gate. At the back of the stage there is a tent.
Artists and their friends are milling around outside it and the sound
of the blues floats out.
Inside the tent is "Sugarland Slim" cranking out an impromptu session
featuring the extraordinary voice of Gilly Darbey who we have chosen
as our MP3 of the Month for October.
"Ain't no use now baby" features the talents of Maartin Allcock and
hopefully will be included as one of the tracks on a planned
collaboration album in the not too distant future.
Sugarland Slim have also hinted that Gilly may guest with them on
their next release."
And indeed she appears on Sugarlands new CD "Texan Calypso".
A song Sean wrote especially to duet with Gilly, called "Dirty girl, Lousy Guy".
After recording the track Sugarland had a gig locally and invited Gilly along.
This is a review from
Relayer. A web site dedicated to bands in and around Bedford,
though the reviewer had travelled much further afield to see Sugarland
Slim.
".... and then the singer announces a short break ....
and invites Gilly Darbey to get up and entertain us.
Gilly and Sugarland Slim got together in the small hours at the
Cropedy Festival, and they were equally knocked out with each other....
playing and singing through the night.
Gilly has been invited to duet with Sean on a number on the new CD....
I'm looking forward to that - she has a superb voice with an
incredible range, and treated us to a short set, mostly solo's
(guitar/vocal) ...... Jeff solo's on a couple.... great sound!
"You'll have to excuse me, I'm a crap guitarist!" she says,
before playing very well indeed!
Loud applause, from a smallish, but very appreciative crowd ...Wow,
what a singer ..... very enjoyable indeed!"
The CD is now due out, so check the guys web site for release details.
The year 2000 saw her expanding her horizons with
a successful tour to Australia and New Zealand. Since that first tour Gilly has returned several times
to growing enthusiam from the audiences in the southern hemisphere.
Appearing at some of the countries most prestigeous folk and blues
festivals and venues.
Spring 2004 saw the release of her second solo CD...."Blues Movin' In", which is more bluesey than the first solo CD and has really captured the essence of Gilly's voice.
Spring 2004 was spent touring in Australia and New Zealand, with the prestigeous Australian National Folk Festival over Easter in Canberra, and a live appearance on National Radio in NZ.
Gilly went down a storm at the National, especially the huge 3000 seater Badewang Hall where she sold out of CD's at the first concert.
Then a return to the UK for more gigs.
Summer 2004 was spent moving to NZ where Gilly now resides.
Autumn gigs included Hong Kong Festival and the end of the year saw her at the huge and wonderful Woodford Festival in Queensland, Australia
2006 saw Gilly recording some songs for Gordon Giltrap and performing them as his guest at the Symphony Hall, London in March.
Gordon Wrote of her.......
"You are and always will be one of the finest
singers I have ever had the privilege to listen to"
2006 saw her embark on another tour of New Zealand, including a live spot on TVNZ "Good Morning Show".
Then back to Australia for the National Festival in Canberra.
2007 and Gilly is now making a name for herself in her new home New Zealand, with great reviews for her appearance at the Queenstown International Jazz Festival, Waipara Wine and Food Festival, and the Alexandra Blossom festival, one of the largest festivals in the South Island, she has also just been confirmed to appear at the Parihaka International Peace Festival in 2008, which is a real honour.
Check out their website at
Parihaka Festival.
Her new CD recorded in Australia at Rob Longs wonderful studio in Newcastle, with Rob playing guitars and drums and Liz Frencham of Jigzag playing double bass, has received rave reviews in NZ Musician.
October 07 sees her embarking on a tour of NZ with her band to promote the new CD, see date sheet for details.
Gilly has recently joined up with Dunedin based Texan musician Terry Ebeling and the band are starting to get gigs around the wine and food festival, corporate circuit.
Get to see her live if you
can, you won,t be
disappointed.
Gilly onstage with keith
Donnelly
and Friends session at Cropredy.
Friends left to right are: Martyn Oram, Bob Fox, Keith Donnelly,
Maart Allcock, ?
sorry, and Gilly.
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Gilly Darbey 
Biography
Well, moving swiftly on.........
this being slightly less pooh hooed by careers advisors than being a
pop star. However, being strongly concerned about animal welfare,
this option slowly became overtaken by her only other option,
that of becoming a singer. Besides her
Mexican stopped at "Los Meurtos No Hablan",
"the dead don't talk" to all you Gringo's out there.
