Darrow Fletcher displayed remarkable vocal talent from an early age, launching his singing career at six. Observers foresaw a luminous future for the outgoing young performer, who displayed no trace of timidity onstage. While still enrolled at Hirsch High School (later South Shore), he cut his debut single; the track unexpectedly became his best-known release. Though only fourteen, Fletcher delivered “The Pain Gets a Little Deeper” with the conviction of someone freshly emerged from a bruising divorce. Bookings soon carried him onto the storied chitlin’ circuit, where he shared stages with other rising attractions. Television appearances followed on modest soul programs, among them Ken Hawkins’ World of Soul in Cleveland, OH, and the Chicago-based edition of Soul Train, rather than nationally prominent showcases such as Dick Clark’s.
Three additional Groovy Records singles failed to match even the modest reach of his first effort. Subsequent label switches likewise yielded scant sales. “Sitting There That Night,” issued on Jacklyn Records, became a local smash in Chicago yet remained confined to the city’s airwaves by the imprint’s limited resources. The same label released “What Good Am I Without You” in 1968, again with identical regional results. Chicago’s vibrant scene and his hometown acclaim secured high-profile engagements at the Regal Theater alongside Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Ruffin, B.B. King, the Radiants, and additional headliners. “The Way of a Man” earned heavy rotation at CKLW (Detroit/Windsor) and climbed deep into the station’s Top 20. Despite his father’s management and promotional efforts, Fletcher never secured a contract with a major label. Two Revue Records releases attracted notice solely within the Fletcher household. In 1970 “Dolly Baby” b/w “What Is This” appeared on Uni Records without impact, and “Now Is the Time for Love” followed on the tiny Genna imprint.
Eventually Fletcher abandoned his recording ambitions. No career-spanning compilation exists, and despite dozens of tracks he never released an album. Occasional singles surface on Northern soul sites streamed in Real Audio, while selected cuts appear on various, mostly imported, Northern soul anthologies that remain difficult to obtain domestically. Additional noteworthy recordings encompass “What Have I Got,” “I’ve Gotta Know Why,” “My Judgement Day,” “Gotta Draw the Line,” and “My Young Misery,” the direct follow-up to “The Pain Gets a Little Deeper.”
