Darnell was born in The Bronx in 1950. His mother was from South Carolina with Caribbean and Italian parents and his father from Savannah, Georgia. As an adult, Thom Browder began going by his two middle names, August Darnell. Claims from some sources that he was born in Montréal in Canada, are erroneous; according to Darnell they stem from the fictitious back-story behind the Kid Creole character.
Growing up in the multicultural area of the Bronx, Darnell was exposed early on to all kinds of music. Darnell began his musical career in a band named The In-Laws with his half-brother, Stony Browder Jr., in 1965. The band disbanded so Darnell could pursue a career as an English teacher. He taught at Alverta B. Gray Schultz Middle School in Hempstead, New York after studying English and drama at Hofstra University. He later claimed that he established a musical career because he was a "frustrated actor".
In 1974, again with Stony Browder, he formed Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, becoming its lyricist and bass player. The band combined swing and Latin music with disco rhythms and had its biggest hit in 1976 with "Cherchez La Femme". Their self-titled debut release was a Top 40-charting album which was certified gold and was nominated for a Grammy.

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