Erik Darling, born in 1933 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., was an American singer-songwriter. He entered New York University in the early 1950s but soon abandoned higher education to pursue music. Inspired by The Weavers, Darling formed The Tunetellers in the 1950s, which evolved into The Tarriers with Alan Arkin. Their version of "Banana Boat Song" reached number 4 on the Billboard chart. In 1958, Darling replaced Pete Seeger in The Weavers and continued working club dates with The Tarriers until 1959. He recorded three solo albums, including True Religion (1961), which was influential among younger folk musicians. In 1967, Darling co-wrote "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" with Paul Bennett for Quicksilver Messenger Service. Darling died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S., in 2008.
