Daryl Coley is an American Gospel singer. Background A native of California, Coley was born in Berkley, California in 1955 and raised in Oakland, California where he spent the bulk of his developmental years influenced equally by his upbringing in the African-American church and his vocalist mother's love for Gospel, classical and jazz music. In his teenage years, he went through vocal and instrumental training (learning clarinet and teaching himself piano) in school bands and regional choirs up until 1977, when Coley went on to perform with the Hawkins Family. As a singer with Edwin Hawkins and later a songwriter and musical director for Tramaine Hawkins, Coley began to establish a name for himself on a national level. Lead vocal appearances on several high profile albums with Hawkins family and with James Cleveland's Gospel Music Workshop of America, led to Coley's solo debut, Just Daryl, in 1985. Just Daryl was followed with his