Captain Sky

{{short description|American singer}}

{{about|American musician|2004 movie|Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow}}

{{BLP sources|date=November 2020}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Captain Sky

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Daryl L. Cameron

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|7|10}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| origin =

| instrument = Vocals, bass

| genre = Funk R&B, Soul, Dance Music

| occupation =

| years_active = 1978–present

| label = AVI Records, TEC, WMOT, Philly World Records.

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

Daryl L. Cameron (born July 10, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois), better known as Captain Sky, is an American musician and singer. Captain Sky’s funk-based musical style, futuristic costumes, and psychedelic imagery are similar to those of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and other Parliament/Funkadelic projects. His signature song 'Super Sporm' was notably referenced in the hip hop standard Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-chicago-music-captain-sky-1005-20201005-nh7stx7lifdz7h24cget6j76nu-story.html | title=Captain Sky, the Chicago funk legend of the '70s, has emerged from the phone booth as Daryl Cameron, still full of music and still going strong | website=Chicago Tribune | date=5 October 2020 }} His album The Adventures of Captain Sky was the first album on vinyl to have expanded grooves for DJs to identify different parts of the song with, such as the percussion or bass break. The style of production on the album with gaps on the songs made it easier for hip hop artists to sample.{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9CQEAAAAMBAJ&q=Captain+Sky | title=Billboard | date=July 1978 }}

With a group of other Chicago-based musicians, Captain Sky began recording around 1978 and released The Adventures of Captain Sky in that year, followed quickly by Pop Goes The Captain in 1979. In the liner notes to the first Captain Sky album, Captain Sky’s origins are explained in this way: “Oh, by the way, if you’re wondering, Daryl Cameron somehow entered the phonebooth of his mind and emerged as Captain Sky. Tune in again.” Both albums were released by AVI Records. Several singles were released from these albums, most notably “Wonder Worm” and “Super Sporm.” By 1980, Captain Sky had moved to TEC records and on that imprint released his third album Concerned Party #1. After several more singles, The Return of Captain Sky, his final album, was released in 1981 back on AVI records. That particular album was not authorized or endorsed by Captain Sky. Since that time, Captain Sky has released singles sporadically on various labels and older tracks have been included on various compilations.

Captain Sky also signed with Philly World Records, WMOT, and as a concept artist with Sweet Mountain/Sugar Hill Records.