Erik Darling (1933-2008) was an American songwriter and folk music artist, born in Baltimore, Md., and raised in Canandaigua, N.Y. In the 1950s, he formed with Bob Carey and Alan Arkin what became the Tarriers. In 1956, the Tarriers' sparked a craze for calypso music. In 1958, Pete Seeger left the Weavers singing group, and Darling was asked to take his place; he stayed with that group until 1962. Darling then formed the Rooftop Singers, which popularized the 12-string guitar in its recording of Darling subsequently released several solo albums, wrote many instrument instruction books, and compiled his 2008 autobiography. Banana Boat Song Walk Right In. The collection contains correspondence, scores, sheet music, song lyrics, photographs, moving image materials, audio recordings, and other items related to Erik Darling and his musical career. Correspondence discusses song writing and other activities. Correspondents include Fred Hellerman, Don McLean, Al Perrin, Pete Seeger, and other folk artists and friends. Also included are handwritten and photocopied scores with annotations by Darling; song lyrics by Darling and various collaborators; and printed and photocopied versions of sheet music. There are also clippings relating to the 2004 reunion performance of the Weavers; photographs of both the Tarriers and the Weavers; negatives from the 1954 Musical Americana Tour; several DVDs and videotapes that relate to various groups; recordings of phone interviews conducted by Darling with friends and associates, including Billy Faier, Guy Carawan, and Pete Seeger, while in the process of writing his autobiography (2008) and compact discs containing notes for and chapters from the autobiography; and recordings of music by Darling and others, including commercially released audiodiscs, demos, dubs, mixes, and masters of commercial and non-commercial recordings. I'd Give My Life: A Journey by Folk Music
