Terence Trent Howard was born in Manhattan and joined the army after college, before being discharged. His musical career began when he released "Love On Time" as part of a band called "The Touch". Soon after, he secured a solo deal and released his debut album "Introducing the Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby" in 1987. He would go on to "pen" the classic hits "Sign Your Name", "Wishing Well" and "Welcome To My Monasteryo". And "T.I.T.S".

"Introducing" sold a million copies within three days of release, and featured lots of hits, despite the fact you couldn't hum any of them today. The record went on to top 12 million sales, and earned D'Arby a Grammy in March 1988 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, and a Soul Train Award Nomination.

Although it's hard to believe now, at the time, very briefly, TTD was the biggest artist in the entire Universe.

D'Arby "back in the day" - fame was fleeting.

"Can I come in?" asked Dame Self Indulgence, as she knocked gingerly. "Sure," replied Terry. "Have my career!"

The follow-up to "Introducing" was the bizarre "Neither Fish Nor Flesh: A Soundtrack Of Love, Faith, Hope & Destruction" album, memorably nodding to Smash Hits' nickname for the artist, Terence "Trout" D'Arby. He got his cock out for the press, it sold a fraction of the amount shifted by its predecessor, and D'Arby's career gurgling down the toilet like so much wee. Third album "Symphony Or Damn: Exploring The Tension Inside The Sweetness" (1993) bombed like a bastard.

A Greatest Hits CD, yesterday. Desree not pictured (but she's on it). And the Q Magazine with his cocky in.

In 1995, D'Arby released the "Vibrator" album but by this time his boat was sunk. Colombia weren't happy on account of the fact that he couldn't sell any records, and by 1996, he was signed to Java Records and the humbly titled album "Terence Trent D'Arby's Solar Return" wasn't able to even be released.

In 1999, he bizarrely joined INXS in place of Michael Hutchence, although the venture only lasted for some live shows to open the Sydney Olympics.

Remember that one about signing your name, can you do that one for us?

Following a series of dreams, in 2001 D'Arby changed his name to Sananda Maitreya. He then released his wretched six-year old unreleased record on Maitreya Records, as "Wildcard". For free. He said: "Sananda Maitreya was born from the smouldering ashes of an artists heart. After much praying to his creator, he was given a new consciousness. Once upon a time, an artist, a fish, woke up to find himself... " OH SHUT UP!

The Wildcard album - get it now, kids.

In 2002 he moved to Italy to work on his next album, "Angels & Vampires - Volume 1" (the title, understated as always) which was eventually released through his "webshop". In 2005 Volume 2 of "Angels & Vampires" was released track by track on-line, as he finished it.

He's now signed to the Treehouse Pub label.

Sananda, today, in the shot he used for the cover of his new album. "Shall I just hold up an apple? I'm getting bored, just take the photo!"

http://www.sanandamaitreya.com/

www.myspace.com/sanandamaitreya