Donald Bradford Gerrard, born on March 19, 1946, in Vancouver, Canada, was a singer known for his contributions to soul music. He began singing as a child and formed his first group, Donny Gerrard and the Checkmates, with Al Foreman in 1961. After performing with various bands, including Night Train Revue, Donny Gerrard relocated to the United States and started his career in Vegas lounge acts. His breakthrough came when he successfully auditioned as the lead vocalist for Skylark in the early 1970s. He sang on their self-titled album Skylark in 1972 and was the lead singer on their hit single "Wildflower," which spent 21 weeks on the Billboard charts. After Skylark disbanded in 1973, Donny Gerrard commenced his solo career with The Rocket Record Company, releasing his first single "(Baby) Don't Let It Mess Your Mind" in 1975 and another single "Greedy (For Your Love)" in 1976. He released a self-titled album Donny Gerrard the same year but did not achieve the desired success. His last solo single was "Stay Awhile With Me" in 1977, after which he transitioned to being a backup singer for artists such as Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Cher, and Mavis Staples. Donny Gerrard died on February 3, 2022, at the age of 75 while receiving hospice care at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
