Birth and Adoption:
Darryl McDaniels was born May 31, 1964, in Queens, New York to a teen mother. He was adopted at 3 months by Byford and Banna McDaniels. At the age of 35, DMC began to work on his autobiography and went to his mother for more information. The information she shared with him changed his world, she told him that he was adopted. In 2006, and with VH1 along for the ride, DMC chronicles his search for his birth parents on a reality show, entitled dmc: my adoption journey.
Claim to Fame:
Part of the former RUN-DMC rap group and now a solo artist with Checks, Thugs and Rock n Roll.
RUN-DMC titles include:
RUN-DMC titles include:
- King of Rock, 1985
- Raising Hell, 1986
- Tougher Than Leather, 1988
- Down with the King, 1993
- Crown Royale, 2001
Fun Facts:
- Musical influences include: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Harry Chapin and the Beatles.
- Sarah McLachlin collaborated with DMC on his interpretation of Cats in the Cradle. She too is adopted. He reported to VH1 that McLachlan's song Angel spoke to his heart during a dark time in his life.
- Married to Zuri L. (Alston) McDaniels
- Has one son Darryl M. McDaniels (DSon) who was born July 27, 1994.
- On April 4, 2009, Run-DMC became the second hip-hop group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Quote:
"At first, I was gonna get really sad about it. But then I said, 'If my (birth) mother never gave me up, my mother would have never came and got me, I would have never moved to Hollis (Queens, New York), I would have never met JOE ('RUN' SIMMONS), we would have never formed Run-DMC and none of this rap s**t would have jumped off."The above quote was a part of an interview with contactmusic.com about how he first felt when he discovered that he was adopted.
SOURCES:
