NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2012—Daryl Hall may as well have been looking in the mirror when he hooked up with Allen Stone, the 24-year-old Seattle, WA, soul singer who has been compared to Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers, for the 51st and latest edition of the critically acclaimed web-series and syndicated TV show Live from Daryl’s House. Hall, who grew up with street corner a cappella groups and vintage R&B that emanated from his own Philadelphia roots, meets musical soul mate in Stone, who was praised by the N.Y. Times’ Jon Pareles, who said, “He let loose a tenor voice with the eagerness and frisky syncopations of Wonder, coupled at times with Michael Jackson’s percussive flourishes.” USA Today simply called him a “pitch-perfect powerhouse.” The episode premieres Feb. 15 at www.lfdh.com.
Said Stone about his appearance on the show: “What is there to say about Daryl Hall? The man is a legend. Getting the opportunity to be invited to sing with him was such an honor. I was overwhelmed at the experience to hang out with someone who has been so influential on my own career.”
The two collaborate on a six-song set that includes “Ennui on the Mountain,” a track from the band’s 1975 RCA album, Daryl Hall and John Oates, with the silver foil cover, and “Lifetime of Love,” from Hall’s recently release critically acclaimed solo album, Laughing Down Crying. The other four numbers are Stone originals, including “Unaware,” “Celebrate Tonight,” “Say So” and “What I’ve Seen.”
“We share a love of the same kind of songs,” says Hall. “I’m really impressed with his commitment to the form. I predict big things for Allen in the future.”
From playing backwoods barbecues and community gatherings to selling out venues across the country, with a national TV appearance on Conan, Stone released his self-titled sophomore record in October on stickystones, his own independent label. The disc climbed the iTunes R&B/soul charts, peaking at #2, hitting #29 and #62 on Billboard’s Heatseekers and R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts. Recent press coverage includes MTV Buzzworthy, USA Today’s Fall Music Preview “Under the Radar,” NPR’s The Record Blog, CNN’s Marquee Blog “1 to Watch’ and Billboard’s “Freshman Haze.” Stone’s three-week North American tour with Jack’s Mannequin kicked off in St. Louis on January 19 and included two nights at New York City’s Irving Plaza on Feb. 8 and 9. His headlining tour kicked off Feb. 12 in Baltimore, wrapping up with a sold-out two-night stand at the legendary Troubadour in W. Hollywood on March 24 and 25.
The past five years have marked a steady stream of superlatives and recognition for Live from Daryl’s House, with Hall receiving a Webby Award for Best Variety series from more than 10,000 entries at the 14th annual ceremony three years ago at N.Y.’s Cipriani Wall Street before garnering an O Music Award from MTV last year.
Live from Daryl’s House is syndicated nationally by Good Cop Bad Cop Productions in association with Scott Sternberg Productions and distributor Trifecta Entertainment & Media. Executive producers for the show include Hall and Scott Sternberg along with Daryl Hall manager Jonathan Wolfson.
Live from Daryl’s House is being shown weekly in over 80% of U.S. homes in the nation’s top 200 media markets, as well as all of the top 10, including New York (WPIX), L.A. (KTLA), Chicago (WGN), Dallas (KDAF) and Houston (KIAH). The show has also cleared in such key markets as Philadelphia (CBS-owned KYW), Boston (KBIN) and Atlanta (WATL), as well as a number of NBC, Fox and CBS-owned affiliates across the country. Most stations are airing a full hour with two original shows back to back on Saturday nights. The first week of the show did a .2 in national Nielsens, with the second week increasing 50% and several stations adding airings.
The 50 previous episodes of Live From Daryl’s House have featured a mix of well-known performers like Booker T and the MGs, Blind Boys of Alabama, Rob Thomas, Train, Smokey Robinson, The Doors’ Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Toots Hibbert, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall, Todd Rundgren, Keb Mo, Dave Stewart, Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik and Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump along with newcomers such as Nikki Jean, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Mayer Hawthorne, Eric Hutchinson, Chromeo, Matt Nathanson, Parachute, Plain White T’s, soul diva Sharon Jones, Diane Birch, L.A. neo-R&B party band Fitz & the Tantrums, hot new alternative band Neon Trees and veteran alternative mainstays Guster.
