Born on tour of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' in Exeter, England, his career began eleven years later in film and television. Aged fourteen, he won a Venice Film festival award for Daylight Robbery, since then he has appeared in countless TV and film productions including Minder, (just released on DVD in 2002) and East Enders. At Sixteen he was a teenage pin up star, featured on front covers of sixties magazine Fab 208.
At Sixteen he was a teenage pin up star, featured on front covers of sixties magazine Fab 208. Darryl then began his rock and roll activities drumming for 'Krayon Angels' a group managed by Emperor Rosko. This led to Darryl to then forming in 1969 with Jess Hector (the Gorillas), the first British punk group Crushed Butler, (acclaimed recently in the Record Collector by Mark Paytress but not at the time, check Dig the fuzz release 'Uncrushed' DIG 029B). Later Darryl became lead vocalist/song writer and guitarist, after a lead part as Keith Richards in the premier Edinburgh Festival production of 'Let the Good Stones Roll', combining acting and music. This was followed by a premier Royal Shakespeare Company production, of Bastard Angel, written by Barry Keefe, based loosely on the Kinks.
A gig in a punk club called 'Ex und Pop' in Berlin, led to numerous concerts on the underground club circuit, and an album of his compositions released in Germany, leading to headlining gigs to large audiences. Echo Music in Berlin produced Darryl's first single 'Play With Fire'/'Trouble In The House Of Love' (the latter a Darryl Read composition), both have remained punk/Goth underground classics.