It's been more than 15 years since Terence Trent D'Arby's
debut album and chart-topping singles "Wishing Well"
and "Sign Your Name" made him a crossover soul
music star following in the path of post-Purple Rain Prince.
But D'Arby's penchant for braggadocio and a series of highly
original but perplexing follow-up records saw him morph
from next big thing status to a cult phenomenon. D'Arby
is a spectacular live performer whose loose limbs and singular
falsetto are able to bring his female fans to tears, although
he hasn't played the US since 1995's Vibrator tour. Like
Prince, he's since changed his name (to Sananda Matreya)
and taken to self-releasing his own albums, including the
brand-new Wildcard. Despite the deflated hype of years past,
D'Arby is a true original. (DJP)
