Kid Creole and the Coconuts comprised of:
Past members:
August Darnell (b. Thomas August Darnell Browder, 12th August 1950, The Bronx, New York City, U.S.A.)
Coati Mundi (a.k.a. Andy Hernandez b. 3rd January 1950, New York City, New York, U.S.A.)
Fonda Rae (b. Ossining, New York, U.S.A.)
Cory Daye (b. 25th April 1952, U.S.A.)
Cheryl Poirier
Adriana Kaegi (b. 17th March 1957, Switzerland)
Taryn Hagey
Eva Tudor-Jones
Jimmy Ripp (Rippetoe)
Mark Anthony Jones
Scott Johnson
Peter Schott
Carol Colman
Winston Grennan
Andrew Lloyd
'Bongo' Eddie Folk
and
Simon 'Franco' Frost
as musicians:
August Darnell - vocals, guitar, bass
Coati Mundi - vibraphone, vocals
Cory Daye - guest vocals
Cheryl Poirier - lead vocals
Adriana Kaegi - vocals, choreography
Taryn Hagey - vocals
Eva Tudor-Jones - current Mama Coconut/choreographer
Jimmy Ripp (Rippetoe) - guitar
Peter Schott - keyboards
Carol Colman - bass
'Dizzy' Daniel Moorehead - Saxophone & Guitar
Winston Grennan - drums
Andrew Lloyd - percussion
'Bongo' Eddie Folk- percussion
and
Simon 'Franco' Frost - Funk Bass
Formed by August Darnell, Kid Creole were a flamboyant group of singers and stage performers, influenced by the Thirties and Forties bands, such as the Cab Calloway Orchestra.
August incorporated several influences into his group’s stage persona, including Disco, Funk and Latin musical styles.
The group were supplemented by a female trio of vocalists, also echoing the stage fashion in sound and style.
August Darnell was born in The Bronx, New York City in 1950.
His mother hailed from South Carolina and his father from Savannah, Georgia.
Stony Browder
August’s first group were called The In-Laws, which featured August and his brother Stony.
The group were formed in 1965.
When the band separated, August took on a career as an English teacher.
Dr Buzzard (August's brother Stony Browder Jnr in centre. b. 1949 d. 1991 from a stroke)
In 1974, again with his brother, he formed the group Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band.
The album was a success and was was nominated for a Grammy.
dr buzzards original savannah band (1976) / meets king pennett (1978) / james monroe presents dr buzzards original savannah band (1979) / calling all beatniks (1984)
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band released 4 albums between 1976 and 1984, which were ‘Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band’ (in 1976 featuring ’Sunshower’), ‘Meets King Pennett’ (in 1978), ‘James Monroe Presents Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band’ (in 1979 featuring ‘Call Me’) and ‘Calling all Beatniks’ (in 1984).
August then began a series of productions for several other artists, including Don Armando’s Second Avenue Rhumba Band and Gichy Dan’s Beachwood No.9.
He decided to adopt a new stage name, and called himself Kid Creole, a name loosely based on the Elvis Presley movie entitled ‘King Creole’.
Taking the Cab Calloway influences a stage further, August adopted the zoot suit look to embellish the overall stage persona.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts were finally formed by August and Andy Hernandez (a.k.a. Coati Mundi - ex. Dr. Buzzard).
Coati Mundi became August’s ‘sideman’ onstage, creating a theatrical delivery to the overall stage effect.
The backing group, the Coconuts, originally comprised of (August’s wife at the time) Adriana "Addy" Kaegi, Cheryl Poirier and Lori Eastside.
The Coconuts line-up was to change at various stages over the following years.
off the coast of me (1980) / fresh fruit in foreign places (1981) / tropical gangsters (1982) / doppleganger (1983)
Signed to ZE Records, the group released their first album in 1980, entitled ‘Off the Coast of Me’, which featured the popular ‘Maladie D’Amour’.
A second album entitled ‘Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places’ was released in 1981, and featured ‘Dear Addy’.
The album charted, and was followed by a non-album single Coati Mundi's ‘Me No Pop I’, which became a Top 40 UK hit single.
The group’s biggest album arrived in 1982, entitled ‘Tropical Gangsters’.
The album saw three Top 10 hits, ‘Stool Pigeon’, ‘Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy’ and ‘I’m a Wonderful Thing, Baby’.
‘Dear Addy’ (from the previous album) also reached the Top 40.
The success of the album saw August commence work on albums for the Coconuts and Coati Mundi as individual acts.
Coati Mundi also released a solo LP entitled ‘The Former 12 Year Old Genius’ in 1983.
The same year, Kid Creole released their fourth album ‘Doppleganger’.
The single ‘There's Something Wrong in Paradise’ reached the UK Top 40, however, the album was less successful than it’s predecessor.
August and his wife divorced in 1985, although she remained with the band.
in praise of older women (1985), I too have seen the woods (1987) / private waters in the great divide (1990) / I wake up screaming (2011)
Kid Creole and the Coconuts continued to release albums, including, ‘In Praise of Older Women and Other Crimes’ (in 1985), ‘I, Too, Have Seen the Woods’ (in 1987), ‘Private Waters In The Great Divide’ (in 1990), ‘You Shoulda Told Me You Were..’ (in 1991), ‘KC2 Plays K2C’ (in 1993), ‘Kiss Me Before The Light Changes’ (in 1995), ‘The Conquest Of You’ (in 1997), ’Too Cool To Conga (in 2001), and ‘I Wake Up Screaming’ (in 2011).
Andy Hernandez left the ensemble before 1990.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts still perform to this date.
August Darnell now lives in Hawaii and Sweden.
Albums:
Off The Coast Of Me (ZE Records 1980)
Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places (ZE Records 1981)
Tropical Gangsters (ZE Records 1982)
Doppelganger (ZE Records 1983)
In Praise of Older Women and Other Crimes (Sire Records 1985)
I, Too, Have Seen the Woods (Sire Records 1987)
Private Waters in the Great Divide (Columbia Records 1990)
You Shoulda Told Me You Were... (Columbia Records 1991)
KC2 Plays K2C (Sony Records 1993)
To Travel Sideways (Atoll Records 1995)
Kiss Me Before the Light Changes (Atoll Records 1995)
The Conquest of You (SPV Records 1997)
Too Cool to Conga! (BMG Records 2001)
I Wake Up Screaming (Strutt Records 2011)
