Darren Watson is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and guitarist. History Darren Watson was born in Wanganui. His first musical experience was playing drums and trumpet but he soon moved on to guitar and was playing in bars and clubs throughout his years at Hutt Valley High School (1980–83). In 1985, he formed Chicago Smoke Shop with harmonica player Terry Casey and, although Casey left the band in 1987, the band went on to record two charting LPs and several radio hits. The group was also in big demand as a support act by international touring bands. Between 1987 and 1990, Smoke Shop (the 'Chicago' tag was eventually dropped) opened for NZ tours by Robert Cray (twice), Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Watson's first solo album in the blues idiom King Size was released in 2002, it was nominated for Best Roots Album at the 2003 New Zealand Music Awards, In late April 2009 Darren won first place in the blues section of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition in Nashville, with his song "All Going Wrong", a cut from South Pacific Soul. Judges for the competition included Tom Waits, James Cotton, John Mayall, and Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer. Watson has gone on to finish on the 'podium' in 2010, judged in third in the blues category of the International Songwriting Competition for "Can't Get Enough of You". Watson released Saint Hilda's Faithless Boy in November 2010 on Red Rocks Records. The album was widely praised both in local and overseas media. In February 2012 Darren performed at the Australian Blues Music Festival in Goulburn, New South Wales, and in May of the same year he headlined the Blues on Broadbeach Festival in Queensland. Watson's fifth solo album Introducing Darren Watson was released on 7 November 2014. The album peaked at number 26 on the Official NZ Top 40 Album Chart and number 6 on the Official Top 20 NZ Albums Chart. In November 2017 Darren recorded several tracks for a new album with award-winning engineer Lee Prebble at Surgery Studios. The band for the recording included original Chicago Smoke Shop harmonica player Terry Casey, Steve Moodie on double bass, Dayle Jellyman on piano, and Delia Shanly on percussion. On 10 March 2018, Darren released music video for "National Guy", a song from Too Many Millionaires. On 1 May 2018, Watson's sixth solo album Too Many Millionaires