Dik Darnell

Dik grew up in Illinois and began his musical life at the young age of 14 when he received a scholarship for musically gifted students from renowned film composer Henry Mancini. That spurred Dik to begin singing in a doo-wop group, The Pentagons.

In 1960 Dik co-formed a band called the Vest Teens. They changed their name to The Precisions a year later and went on their first tour. During that tour Dik recorded his first professional recording of a song he composed entitled “This Is My Story.” From that point on Dik was hooked on the recording arts. He would drive into Chicago to pitch his songs to record labels including Chess, VJ, Mercury, King, and RCA Records. Dik’s first single, “The One for Me,” was recorded in 1961 for Cliff Records and was featured in Chicago on the famous Howard Miller radio show. During the early 60s, Dik studied engineering, composing, performing, and producing. He moved to Colorado in 1966 and fell in love with the Rocky Mountains.

During the 60s–80s era, Dik produced and engineered several artists, including Baby Huey’s legendary recordings of “Listen to Me” and “A Change Is Gonna Come,” released on Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records. Those recordings are credited in major books on the founding of Hip Hop as influential to early major Hip Hop artists. Dik produced Tommy Bolin and his band Energy, and brought the hit rock group Fever Tree to Colorado to record their second album at Summit Studios for Uni Records. He produced numerous artists and labels throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, including The Gallery (Mira Records); Netta Page with Darlene Love & The Blossoms; Body House with Allen Ginsberg; Gary Wilson; Live Wire; Project Planet; Broz; J T Stringer; Jack Giering; The Other Side of Time (Daisy Records); Kenny Jay & The Rendon Brothers; Donny Buzzard; The Collection; Sasa DI (Larry Thompson, Carl Carwell, Larry Dunn, Philip Bailey, Steve Sykes); and many more.

From 1966 to 1979, Dik composed and produced music for numerous films, including the award-winning ski film “The Mobius Flip,” the climbing film of Yosemite Park, the opening of the Vail Ski Resort, the launch of the Outward Bound Program, and a Children’s Hospital film. He composed and produced “We See the Sunrise” for the John Madden Company’s development of the Denver Tech Center. Dik was awarded the International Broadcasters Award for “World’s Best Music in Advertising” for his composition and production of the soda pop “Bubble Up.” He also composed and produced award-winning theme music for Frontier Airlines, Mastercard, GW Sugar, Rexall, Big O Tires, Red Seal Potato Chips, Honeywell, Phillips 66, Columbia Savings, Celestial Seasonings, KOMO Radio Seattle, the USA 200th Anniversary song “The Tradition,” and many other major companies.

Dik taught or lectured at four major universities beginning in 1970 at Loretto Heights College, where he taught the first accredited college course in rock and roll in academic history. He was an original staff member and Director of the 48-voice Children’s Choir at Open Living School in Evergreen, Colorado. The choir performed on the Mastercard Christmas commercial Dik composed and produced, resulting in a large donation to the school.

In the early 1970s, Dik signed The Family Circle of Music to Caribou Ranch Records and Management, founded by James William Guercio. Dik lived at Caribou Ranch, serving as artist, producer, and engineer. Netflix later interviewed Dik (Gerard’s first producer) for the upcoming G Tom Mac Gerard story.

After leaving Caribou in 1976, Dik built Pyramid Recording Studio and formed Etherean Productions and Homeflow Management in Denver. He produced the Top 40 hit “Old Fashion Boy” for Stallion, which was signed to Casablanca Records. He also produced Jimmy Ibbotson’s first solo album, worked with Kostas, Pete Wasner, Glen Yarborough, Randy Castillo, Kenny Passarelli, Chuck Pyle, Philip Bailey & Larry Dunn (EWF), Lonnie Hill’s “Galveston Bay” for Virgin Ten Records, and many others.

In 1980 Dik founded Tatanka Records with Buddy Red Bow. He produced Buddy’s legendary album “Journey to The Spirit World,” along with “BRB” and “Black Hills Dreamer.” The song “Reservation Cowboy” is featured in the Netflix series “Dark Winds.” Dik also produced the album “Fools Crow,” as well as projects by Spirit Drum, The Elk Nation, Red Cloud Singers, and Ivan Looking Horse.

Dik’s music has appeared in film and television including the 1999 Emmy award-winning PBS documentary on the Spanish American War, “Thunderheart” (with composer James Horner), ABC Hallmark’s “Dream Keepers,” “Hidalgo,” and many others. He has produced over 40 albums, including 2 Platinum and 3 Gold.

Dik and John Denver composed the “Sister Cities” International Theme Song, “We Are One.” Dik produced and mixed the track featuring John’s vocal performance. Dik and John collaborated for over twenty years and participated in sacred ceremonies led by Chief Fools Crow.

In 1987 Dik founded Etherean Music, releasing over 75 titles including New Zealand Grammy winner Hollie Smith and Scottish artist Steve McDonald. Etherean won 14 Album of the Year awards and received over 40 nominations. The label licensed music to ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, TNT, Hallmark, MTV, and more. Dik composed and produced visionary albums including “Following The Circle,” “Voice of The Four Winds,” “Ceremony,” “In The Presence Of Angels,” “Winter Solstice Ceremony,” and the award-winning “Prophecies” with Steven Halpern.

Dik founded the Elation Label and produced Billboard-charting saxophonist Brian Savage, including the #1 smooth jazz tune “Cat Food.” From 2003–2023, Dik produced numerous contemporary artists and mentors Millennial and Gen Z musicians at his adobe recording studio and organic orchard in Western Colorado. He is currently partnered with a major label-distributed imprint.

Dik co-wrote and produced the screenplay “The Big Push” with Marc Sotkin and is partnered on an animated children’s project with Sarah Winters.

In 1970 Dik founded The Four Winds Foundation & Lodge of The Great Spirit, a humanitarian nonprofit supporting Native Peoples and others in need. Chief Fools Crow adopted and named Dik “Lakota Cante” (Indian Heart) in 1977.

Dik continues his artistic, spiritual, and humanitarian work and is in his 56th year of a healthy vegan, plant-based lifestyle.