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LATE
LEGENDS
THESE ARTISTS
ARE IN ZION,
BUT WE STILL LOVE DEM,
R.I.P |
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BOB MARLEY
Born: Feb 6, 1945
Nine Miles, St. Ann
Jamaica
Died: May 11, 1981 |
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The
late great Bob 'Robert Nesta' Marley is the
undisputed king of reggae music, the only reggae
artist to achieve the worldwide status of
superstar. He was responsible for developing an
'international reggae' style in order to broaden
his audience. It's part of his unique talent that
he never ignored the message or the quality of the
music, remaining true to the mission of reggae
music. Bob Marley was suffering from cancer, he
tried to fight the disease in a clinic in Bavaria,
but unfortunately it was too
late.
At
the start of May Bob Marley left Germany for his
Jamaican home, a journey he did not complete. He
died in a Miami hospital on Monday May 11, 1981. |
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JOSEPH 'Culture' HILL
Born: Jan 22, 1949
Linstead, St. Catherine
Jamaica
Died: August 19, 2006 |
The vocal trio Culture was
formed by Joseph Hill, Albert Walker and Kenneth Paley aka Kenneth Dayes. Joseph Hill had already
recorded the sublime 'Behold The Land' for Studio
One in 1972. The 'Two Sevens Clash' (1977) set is
their most celebrated album to date. After this
release the trio entered an extremely prolific
period in their career, recording excellent albums
and 12" singles. They split up in 1982, and since
then Joseph Hill (as Culture) has enjoyed
considerable success with a string of quality
roots albums.
Joseph Hill died unexpected at Aug 19 2006 in the
middle of an European tour after a sudden illness
in Berlin Germany. |
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PETER TOSH
Born: Oct 19, 1944
Grange Hill,Westmoreland
Jamaica
Died: Sept 11, 1987 |
Hubert Winston McIntosh aka
Peter Tosh one of the founding members of The
Wailers, left the group in 1973 to embark on a
successful solo career. Although he had cut solo
tracks for Joe Gibbs and Coxsone Dodd, he became
an international star when he signed up
with
Virgin Records, releasing the albums 'Legalize It'
and 'Equal Rights'. On the Rolling Stones and EMI
label he released a string of fine albums.
On the evening
of September 11, 1987, Peter Tosh was brutally
murdered at his home in Barbican, Kingston by
gunmen.
Also killed on that fateful night, was Wilton 'Doc'
Brown,
a herbalist friend of Tosh. |
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DENNIS BROWN
Born: Feb 1,
1957
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: July 1,
1999 |
Dennis Emanuel Brown
has to be considered one of
the most prolific and popular reggae artists ever.
He started recording for producer Coxsone Dodd,
while still in his childhood. In the 70s and early
80s he established himself as a major force in
reggae music with numerous roots and lovers cuts
for several leading producers.
The
crown prince of reggae died at a Kingston hospital
in 1999. Initial reports suggested Brown died of
complications from respiratory problems, but his
cause of death has never been confirmed. |
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TENOR SAW
Born: Feb 11, 1966
Kingston
Jamaica
Died:
August, 1988 |
Born
Clive Bright, dancehall singer Tenor Saw
was
one of the most influential singers of the early
digital era.
In 1985 he released the dancehall anthem
'Ring The Alarm', which
became one of Jamaica's
most
versioned riddims.This tune marked the
beginning of a three years span in which Tenor Saw
delivered a steady stream of dancehall smashes.
Tenor Saw was killed on August 1988 under mysterious
circumstances by a hit and run driver in Houston Texas.
He
died at 22 years of age. |
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NITTY GRITTY
Born: 1957
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: June 24, 1991 |
Glen Augustus Holness, aka
Nitty Gritty, was a contemporary of Tenor Saw,
sharing a similar vocal style.
Before joining up
with King Jammy
in 1985,
he worked with Joe Gibbs, started a group called The
Soulites.
Nitty Gritty
delivered his most successful and best output
during the second
half of the eighties, when computerised riddims took hold in Jamaica.
On June 24, 1991 Nitty Gritty was shot dead outside Super Power record
shop
in Brooklyn,
New York at the
age of 34. |
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GARNETT SILK
Born: April 2, 1966
Mandeville
Jamaica
Died: Dec 10, 1994 |
Garnett Daymon Smith aka Garnett
Silk started deejaying as a teenager, calling
himself Little Bimbo. For Delroy Collins he
recorded his first single, soon followed by
sessions for King Tubby, Youth Promotion and King
Jammy. He achieved success with his cuts for
Courtney Cole, but his debut set 'It's Growing'
for Bobby Digital established him as a major roots
artist. Reggae lovers
everywhere hailed Garnett as the successor to Bob
Marley. However the promising life and career came
to an unexpected and abrupt end on Dec 10th, 1994.
According to reports in the Jamaican press, Silk
borrowed guns from his attorney after his home had
been robbed. Someone was showing
Silk how to use
or clean a gun when it accidentally discharged,
the bullet struck a cooking gas cylinder which
instantly exploded, killing Silk, his mother Teega,
and severely burning 2 of his brothers. |
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JACOB
MILLER
Born: May 4, 1952
Mandeville
Jamaica
Died:
March 23, 1980 |
Jacob
'Killer' Miller recorded his first single
'Keep on
Knocking' for Augustus Pablo. Soon Miller found
himself auditioning for a band called Inner Circle.
He joined the group in 1976 and 'Tenement Yard'
their first recording became his biggest hit.
Miller and the group were signed to Capitol
Records in 1977 and released “Reggae Thing” and
'Ready for the World'. They also appeared with Bob
Marley at the infamous Peace Concert in 1978.
Their 3rd album “Everything is Great” was released
on Chris Blackwell’s Island Records label in 1979.
The album sold over 500,000 copies in Europe.
Chris Blackwell took Miller and Marley his two
biggest reggae stars to Brazil to celebrate the
new Island Records South American Office. They
returned to Jamaica on Friday, March 21st and only
two days later Miller died in tragic car accident
on Hope Road. |
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LUCKY
DUBE
Born: Aug 3, 1964
Ermelo
South Africa
Died:
Oct 18, 2007 |
Lucky
Dube is one of South Africa's best selling
artists and one of its most outspoken performers.
Although he initially sang in the traditional Zulu
mbaganga style, his move to reggae in 1984 (
inspired by the controversal lyrics of Peter Tosh)
was sparked by his quest to express his anger
against the oppression of apartheid. Lucky Dube
made a type of melodious, African reggae that
slowly but surely has turned him into a superstar.
He sang powerfully in English about social
problems, the blacks' struggle, and God's
greatness. With the song, 'Together As One', he
became the first black artist in South Africa to
be played on a white radio station. His albums, 'Slave'
and 'Prisoner', both sold over 500,000 copies and
are the best selling disks ever in South Africa.
On October 18, 2007,
Lucky Dube was shot and killed during a
car-jacking attempt in Johannesburg. |
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GENERAL ECHO
Born: Dec 8, 1955
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Nov 22, 1980 |
General Echo born Errol Robinson was a top reggae
deejay of the late 1970's.
Ranking Slackness, better known as General Echo
set up his own sound system, Echo Tone Hi Fi
and
became extremely popular because of his preference
for slackness and his typical vocal delivery.
Under the supervision of Winston Riley, he
successfully versioned the 'Stalag 17' riddim,
retitling it 'Arleen'. The song stayed in the
charts for weeks. Shortly after the release of his
'12 Inches Of Pleasure' set he was shot dead
by
the police at Nov 22, 1980 in Jamaica
along with 2 members of his sound. |
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PRINCE FAR I
Born: 1944
Spanish Town
Jamaica
Died: Sep 15, 1983 |
Michael James Williams, better known
as the deejay Prince Far I, started his recording
career in the late sixties,
when he cut 'The Great Wooga Booga' for Bunny
'Striker'
Lee. However, his
first hits came when he teamed
up with producer Joe Gibbs. This success enabled
him to finance the setting-up of his own
'Cry Tuff'
label. Gruff chants delivered over tough riddims
became Prince Far I's trademark. The deejay's life
and career came to an end when
On September 15, 1983 Prince Far I
was brutally
killed during a robbery at
his home in Jamaica. |
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KING TUBBY
Born: Jan 28, 1941
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Feb 6, 1989 |
King Tubby, real name
Osbourne Ruddock, also known as the dub originator,
started his Tubby's Home Town Hi Fi sound system
in the late 60s. He 'invented' dub, by reworking
Duke Reid's rocksteady classics. Throughout the
70s he was the foremost dub mixer in Jamaica,
cutting crucial dubs for almost every Jamaican
producer. He
also took up producing and laid down some heavy
digital slices. On Feb 6,1989 he
was shot and killed outside his home in
Waterhouse. His murder remains unsolved, his death
believed to have been the result of a street
robbery. |
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COXSONE DODD
Born: Jan 26, 1932
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: May 4,
2004 |
Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd
is a
legendary figure in terms of Jamaica's music
industry. From the late 50s his Downbeat Sound
System was one of a select few that ran things in
Jamaica
and he turned its success into one of the
most respected record companies ever:
Studio One. He began by playing music on a
record player at his parent's liquor store.
By the
time King Edwards the Giant had taken over as the
number 1 'sound' in Kingston, Coxsone was ready to
record and release music by virtually every major
Jamaican artist who could reach the microphone.
Four days after the City of Kingston honoured him
by naming a street for his famous Studio One
recording label, Jamaican music pioneer Clement
'Sir Coxsone'
Dodd
died of a heart attack at his
offices at
13 Studio One Boulevard. |
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BARRY
BROWN
Born:
1962
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: May 29, 2004 |
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Barry
Brown was one of a number of singers to find
success in the 1970's under producer Bunny Lee.
One
of the most successful artists of the early
dancehall era, Brown worked with some of Jamaica's
top producers of the time, including Linval
Thompson, Winston 'Niney
The Observer' Holness,
Sugar Minott and Coxsone Dodd, as well as
releasing self-produced material. After releasing
eleven albums between 1979 and 1984, Brown's
releases became more sporadic, although his work
continued to feature prominently on sound systems
such as those of Jah Shaka. In the 1990's, Brown's health deteriorated,
suffering with asthma and substance abuse
problems and he died in May
2004 at Sone Waves
Recording Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, after
falling and hitting his head. |
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PAPA
TOUWTJIE
Born: Dec
21, 1968
Paramaribo
Suriname
Died: June 9, 2005 |
Suriname's most popular
dancehall singer/performer
Papa Touwtjie (Johan
Touwslager) rose to fame with a cover version of
Jamaica’s Terror Fabulous'
hit song 'Gangster',
after serving time for petty crimes. He
subsequently became a dancehall/reggae icon in
Suriname and influenced a lot of young artists
in the dancehall/reggae scene. 'Papa
T',
was extremely popular among the youth and
underprivileged people in the Surinamese society.
In his songs he
took a stand against poverty, other
social problems and was
often the
centre of controversy with his protest songs,
strong language and lyrics
against the political establishment.
During a family quarrel which escalated and
resulted in a shooting, Papa Touwtjie was shot
dead by his own brother on June 9, 2005. |
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NICODEMUS
Born:
June 27
1957
Jamaica
Died: Aug 26,
1996 |
Cecil
Willington a.k.a Nicodemus
started his DJ career in the late 70's
early 80's on the Socialist Roots Sound
System longside selector Danny Dread.
He recorded a number of hits, including
memorable work with the Roots Radics,
combination hits with
artists like Linval Thompson,
Leroy Sibbles, Ranking Trevor and notable
sessions at the Channel One
Studio. As the years
progressed Nicodemus continued recording and as
the 90's approached
he became widely appreciated for being a DJ
Veteran and was treated with the respect he was
due. At August 26 in
1996, he passed from apparent complications
with diabetes. |
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COUNT OSSIE
Born:
March, 1926
St. Thomas
Jamaica
Died: Oct 18,
1976 |
Born
Oswald Williams, Count Ossie
grew up in a rasta community were he learned techniques of vocal
chanting and hand drumming. He formed a group
called 'Mystic Revelation
Of Rastafari' and
recorded 2 albums
with them. His masterpiece was 'Grounation'
(1973),
3 LP set, which includes songs as
'Oh Carolina',
'So Long',
and 'Grounation'
Two years later 'Tales Of
Mozambique' was issued,
continuing the legacy of the first album.
There has been some debate as to the cause
of his death in 1976. While
some sources claim that he was
killed in an auto accident, others
say that he was trampled to death when a crowd
panicked at the National Arena. |
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DIRTSMAN
Born:
1966
Spanish Town
Jamaica
Died: Dec 21,
1993 |
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Born Patrick Thomas (
brother of Papa San),
Dirtsman was a similarly inclined dancehall DJ
until his brutal death. His father was the owner
of the Black Universe sound system but he
subsequently moved on to the Creation Rock Tower
Sound, based in Willowdene.
Recording since the mid-1980s, Dirtsman's biggest
hits were 'Thank You',
produced by Steely and Clevie and
'Hot This Year',
produced by New York producer Philip Smart.
On the cusp of mainstream success, he
signed to BMG, but his career was cut short in
1993 when he was shot on his veranda by four
gunmen, being pronounced dead on arrival at
Spanish Town Hospital. |
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HENRY
'JUNJO' LAWES
Born:
Circa 1948
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: June 14,
1999 |
During the early years of dancehall reggae, Henry
"Junjo" Lawes was the most important and
influential producer around. His raw, street-level
sound and use of pre-existing rhythms virtually
defined dancehall in its predigital phase. Lawes
produced many of the top DJs of the early '80s,
and also helped more traditional reggae singers
bridge their influences and the new style.
Unfortunately, Lawes was also something of a
star-crossed figure: he spent the latter half of
the '80s in jail, halting his career just as the
new, electronic ragga sound was changing
the face of dancehall. Although Lawes returned to
work in the '90s, he was no longer on the cutting
edge. He was
shot to death in the
Harlesden area of London
by two men -likely gang members-
in 1999. The case remains unsolved. |
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JUNIOR BRAITHWAITE
Born:
April 4, 1949
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: June 2, 1999 |
Franklin Delano Alexander Braithwaite, better
known as Junior Braithwaite was one of the
founders and the first lead singer of The Wailers.
Braithwaite was with The Wailers for eight
months and sung lead on such songs as,
'Habits,'
'Straight and Narrow Way,'
'Don't Ever Leave Me,'
and 'It Hurts To Be Alone.'
He left the band in 1964 and moved to the United
States with hopes of
pursuing a medical career. He lived primarily in
Chicago and southern Wisconsin for the next 20
years, and returned to Jamaica in 1984 to work
with Bunny Wailer on a Wailers' reunion project.
With the assassination of Peter Tosh in September
1987, plans for
world tours with a reunited-Wailers never
materialized. Junior
Braithwaite was murdered in the home of a
fellow musician in Kingston. |
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MAJOR
WORRIES
Born:
1966
Jamaica
Died: Aug, 1987 |
Major
Worries (born Wayne Jones)
was another victim of the gun culture that plagued
the Jamaican music industry. The DJ's
'drunken master'
style on his debut, 'Topa' led to a series of hits
which leaves this writer believing he could have
enjoyed a long and fruitful career.
Predestined to become a major deejay name
in the digital age Major Worries' life and career
were tragically cut off in their prime. As many of
his predecessors, this young talent had built his
reputation when working for several sound systems
before he really made his mark with the original
and amusing 'Babylon Boops',
a tune he cut for King Jammy's. Major Worries was
shot and killed by a security guard in Spanish
Town in August in 1987.
He was a
major influence to Shabba Ranks
and
still is to many DJ's of today. |
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DESMOND DEKKER
Born:
July 16, 1941
St. Andrew
Jamaica
Died: May 25,
2006 |
Born
Desmond Adolphus Dacres in St. Andrew,Jamaica,
Desmond grew up in Kingston.
Together with his backing group, The Aces
(consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington
Howard), he had one of the first international
Jamaican hits with 'Israelites'.
Other
hits include '007 (Shanty
Town)' (1967) and
'It Mek'
(1968). Before the ascent
of Bob Marley, Dekker was one of the most popular
musicians within Jamaica, and one of the
best-known musicians outside it.
Many see him as a musical icon. Desmond
Dekker died of a heart attack on 25 May 2006, at
his home in
Thornton Heath in the London Borough
of Croydon, England.
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JOE
HIGGS
Born:
June 3, 1940
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Dec 18, 1999 |
Joe
Higgs is one of the most crucial people in
Jamaican music, through both his teachings which
allowed other musicians to become great, and also
through his own groundbreaking music at the
beginnings of ska, rock steady
and reggae. In the 1960s he
was part
of the duo Higgs and Wilson together with Delroy
Wilson. Higgs was widely
respected as a composer, arranger and performer,
but perhaps most of all as a teacher. Among those
he trained were Bob Marley, Jimmy
Cliff, Peter Tosh,
Bob Andy, the Wailing Souls and Bunny Wailer.
He died in a hospital in Los
Angeles following several months of treatment for
cancer. |
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PAN
HEAD
Born: Circa 1966
St. Mary
Jamaica
Died: Oct 20, 1993 |
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Pan
Head (Anthony Johnson) was a
dancehall DJ who made his initial impact in 1990.
His releases,'Respect
Gunman', 'Punny
Printer', 'Gunman
Tune', and
'African Princess' proved especially
popular. His notoriety grew, leading to
performances longside Buju Banton, Capleton,
Beenie Man and Mad Cobra.
However, his potential success was ended
when he was brutally killed
by a gunman in October 1993, when he was leaving a
dance. In 1994
Buju Banton (after his friends
Panhead and Dirtsman were
killed) released
'Murderer'
a song condemning violence that is often credited
as the song that began the new conscious movement
in dancehall. |
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DELROY WILSON
Born:
Oct 5, 1948
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: March 6,
1995 |
Delroy
Wilson was one of Jamaica's
most soulful vocalists and
over a 40-year career the singer unleashed a flood
of hits and a multitude of masterpieces.
He took up recording for Coxsone Dodd while
still in his childhood. At the end of the 60s he
joined Bunny Lee's
impressive rosta of artistes. All through the 70s
his output was prolific.The song 'Better
must Come' (with Bunny Lee in 1971) was a massive
hit and his 1976 cover of The Wailers' 'I'm
Still Waiting' stands the test of time well.
He recorded for an array of producers and
even scored in the digital era with some serious
slices for King Jammy.
Tragically, Wilson died of cirrhosis of
the liver on March 6, 1995,
at the Kingston's UWI
hospital. |
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DUKE
REID
Born:
Circa 1915
Portland
Jamaica
Died: Early 1975 |
Arthur Reid a.k.a
Duke Reid ran one of
the most popular sound systems of the
'50s called Duke Reid's the
Trojan.
In the 1960s, Reid founded
the record label Treasure Isle, named after
his liquor store, that produced legendary
ska and rocksteady music.
Sound system operator, former
policeman and liquor store owner Duke 'The
Trojan' Reid, perhaps has been the single biggest
influence on the development of Jamaican music
after his rival Coxsone Dodd. At the beginning of
the 70s he single-handed created a new form of
deejaying, cutting slices with U Roy. Duke Reid
became seriously ill in 1974 and was diagnosed
with cancer. He
sadly passed away in early 1975,
leaving behind an extensive musical legacy.
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JACKIE OPEL
Born:
1938
Bridgetown
Barbados
Died: 1970 |
Born
as Dalton Bishop
in Barbados, Opel
possessed a rich, powerful voice with a six-octave
range. He was known as the
Jackie Wilson of Jamaica, and was a gifted dancer.
In his homeland he was already a musical
superstar.
In the early 1960s, he was discovered
by Byron Lee, who brought him to Jamaica. There,
he started performing with
the legendary Skatalites as an occasional vocalist
and bass player. He
recorded as a solo artist first on
Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label.
His styles included ska, R&B, soul, gospel,
and calypso and with his James
Brown-like stage show, he was poised for
international stardom when he died in
a car
accident while visiting his native Barbados in
1970. |
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SLIM
SMITH
Born:
1948
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Oct 9, 1972 |
Slim
Smith, born Keith Smith, started
out in the early 60s as a founding member of The
Techniques, before joining the ranks of producer
Coxsone Dodd, cutting some
notable sides collected on the classic 'Born To
Love' set. His Studio One recordings brilliantly
highlight his passionate, soulful voice. The end of the 60s
saw him working for Bunny Lee, both as a solo
artist and as a member of The Uniques, scoring
with the memorable
'My Conversation'. The
cause of Slim Smith's untimely death in 1972
is the subject of some dispute.
He died after
bleeding to death from a wound to his wrist caused
by smashing
a window of his house.
The reasons for
his action
are however not clear. One version has it that he
was locked out of his house, another that
depression was the reason, and his death should
thus be regarded as suicide. His death stunned
Jamaica. |
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AUGUSTUS PABLO
Born:
June 21, 1954
St. Andrew
Jamaica
Died: May 18,
1999 |
Horace Swaby aka Augustus Pablo is probably best
known for his melodica playing, although he
actually started his career as a session pianist
for Coxsone Dodd. His experimenting with the
melodica led to a new sound in reggae music, which
almost immediately became very popular. Beyond
doubt Augustus Pablo was of great influence
on the development of reggae music,
not only as melodica /
keyboards
player but also as a producer.
Pablo's first recording came in 1971.
His most famous track from this
period was
'East Of The
River Nile' which set the
mould for his 'Far Eastern' sound. His signature
is a combination of minor keys and modern melodies
and influences on his music ranged from
ska trombonist Don Drummond to
Studio One organist Jackie Mittoo.
Pablo died of the nerve disorder Myasthenia gravis
on May 18, 1999. |
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DON
DRUMMOND
Born:
1932
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: May 6, 1969 |
Don Drummond was a famous
ska trombonist and composer and
one of
the original members of The Skatalites. In the 50s he had established his
reputation as one of Jamaica's top musicians. As a
member of the legendary Skatalites and as a solo
musician, he has cut numerous timeless tracks for
Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid.
Drummond's genius did not
come
without a price, however - a notoriously
eccentric man who suffered from bouts of manic
depression, his erratic behaviour earned him the
nickname
'Don Cosmic'
from Dodd. In 1964 when he
was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend,
Drummond was deemed legally insane, and
committed
indefinitely to Bellevue Hospital. He died there
on May 6, 1969 although
officially explained as a suicide, there was no
official autopsy, and rumours about his death
continue to swirl to this day. |
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PUMA
JONES
Born:
Oct 5, 1953
Columbia, South Carolina
USA
Died: Jan 28, 1990 |
At the end of the '70s,
American sociologist Sandra 'Puma'
Jones went to Jamaica to find her African
roots. There, she sang with Ras Michael and other
native artists and was
invited by Duckie Simpson to join
Black Uhuru for the recording sessions of the 1979
album, Showcase. She went on to sing on 7 studio
albums. Together with
Michael Rose, Duckie Simpson
and the extraordinary musicians Sly Dunbar
and Robbie Shakespeare, they built the most
successful reggae act after Bob Marley.
When
Rose left the band in 1984, Jones was committed to
continuing with the band, but in 1987 she was
diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned to
New York City for treatment but died on 28th
January 1990. |
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LOUIE
LEPKI
Born:
Aug 12
1957
Jamaica
Died: ± 1986 |
Deejay Luie Lepke was
highly popular
on the Jamaican soundsystem circuit.
His style is a classic example of the
early dancehall style of the 80s,
toasting over well known Studio One
and Treasure Isle riddims.
Although Lepki recorded
extensively for several producers,
his cuts for producer Joe Gibbs have stood
the test of time particularly well.
Louie released 3 albums: 'Latenight movie'
produced by Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson, 1981, 'Willie
Red' for Channel one in 1982
and 'Face to face' with Johnny Ringo
(who died in 2005 suffering from
cocaine addiction). The actual facts about Louie's
death are not really clear, it is said that Lepki
was killed in ± 1986 by a gunman by a shot in the
head. |
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CARLTON BARRETT
Born:
Dec 17,
1950
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: April 17, 1987 |
Carlton 'Carly'
Barrett was the originator of the one drop
rhythm, a percussive drumming style. An essential
member
of Bob Marley and The Wailers since 1969 along
with his brother Aston
'Family Man'. With Carly's
beats and his brother Aston's bass, the Wailer
rhythm section planted the seeds of today's
international reggae. Though original Wailers
Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer
left the group in 1973, Carlton remained with the
Wailers in the studio and on
tour until Bob's passing in 1981. His signature
style can be heard on
every recording the Wailers produced since 1969.
In 1987 Carlton 'Field Marshal' was killed at his
yard in Kingston by gunman, hired by his wife,
who shot him twice in the head. |
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HUGH
MUNDELL
Born:
June 14, 1962
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: 1983 |
With
the tragic murder in 1983,
reggae lost one of its most promising young
performers. Hugh's 1975
debut album, 'Africa Must
Be Free By 1983',remains a
classic roots reggae recording.
Mundell was still a teenager when he teamed
with influential producer Joe Gibbs.
His first break came when he was hired as
a DJ for Augustus Pablo's Rockers sound system.
Mundell also recorded several 12" singles as Jah
Levi. In 1979,
he took over the production of his own
recordings and produced
'Little'
Junior Reid's debut album
'Speak the Truth'.
What seemed likely to be a brilliant career
was cut short when Mundell was shot to death while
driving with Junior Reid in Kingston, Jamaica in
1983. Accounts of the incident are muddled, some
reporting that it was over an argument about a
fridge, others that it was in revenge for a
burglary, others
still that it was over a woman. |
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I-ROY
Born: June 8, 1944
St. Thomas
Jamaica
Died:
Nov 27, 1999 |
Roy
Samuel Reid better known as I-Roy was a Jamaican
DJ who had a very prolific career during the '70s.
Deriving his name and to some extent
his style from U-Roy, Reid was also heavily
influenced in his early career by Dennis Alcapone.
With early recordings for Gussie Clarke, Glen
Brown, Lee Perry and Bunny Lee, Reid established
himself at the forefront of 1970's reggae DJ's.
His debut album "Presenting I Roy" is considered a
classic of its genre, and was followed up by a
series of strong albums. In 1976, I Roy signed to
Virgin Records with whom he would go on to release
five albums.
Reggae's move to the Dancehall era in the 1980's
saw I Roy's popularity decline and although he
continued to record,
his output was not of the standard that he had set in the previous decade.
He died in 1999 of heart failure in Kingston
Jamaica. |
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KEITH
HUDSON
Born:
1946
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: 14 Nov, 1984 |
Keith
Hudson's musical career began
as Hudson worked as a sort of roadie
for Skatalite and Jamaican trombone
king Don Drummond. By age 21, he started his
own record label, Inbidimts, and had a hit with
Ken Boothe's recording of 'Old Fashioned Way'.
Hudson was producing some of the biggest names
like: John Holt, Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, U-Roy
and Dennis Alcapone, all of whom benefited from
what would be Hudson's trademark production style:
groove-centered, bass/drum-dominated, lean and
mean stripped-down riddims. By the mid-'70s, he
began releasing more solo work;
his debut, 'Entering the Dragon' and his intense
second record, 'Flesh of My Skin', an ominous,
dark record that earned Hudson his title: 'The
dark prince of reggae'. He produced and recorded
pretty much non stop, up until 1982. Hudson died
of lung cancer in 1984. |
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JUNIOR DELGADO
Born:
Aug 25, 1958
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: April 11, 2005 |
Junior 'Jooks' Delgado born Oscar Hibbert began
singing in his teens as Junior Hibbert, with the
vocal group
Time Unlimited. In 1975, Delgado decided to pursue
a solo career and changed
his name to Junior Delgado. Delgado was his
long-time nickname, taken from the Spanish word
for skinny. His debut album
'Taste of the Young Heart'
(1978)
showcased his "raw
moan" vocal style. In a 30-year career, Delgado
recorded with the likes of Lee Perry, Sly and
Robbie and Dennis Brown,
Prince Jammy, Joe Gibbs, Augustus
Pablo and Earl Chinna
Smith. Famed for his roots
style, his most successful
songs included Raggamuffin Year
and Fort Augustus.
Throughout the early 1990s Delgado spent most of
his time between recording and touring Britain
where he had a strong fan base. He
died of natural causes in his sleep on 11th
April 2005 at his home in
London. |
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BIM
SHERMAN
Born:
Feb 2, 1950
Westmoreland
Jamaica
Died: Nov 17, 2000 |
Born
Jarrett Tomlinson in Jamaica,
Bim Sherman started his career in 1975. He
released many 7" records in Jamaica
via his own labels 'Scorpio',
'Red Sea'
and 'Sun Dew'. One of his biggest fan, the
then young reggae producer Adrian Sherwood asked
him in 1979 to come
to England and tour with Prince Far I,
Creation Rebel and Prince Hammer. Sherman decided
to stay in London and became a regular
collaborator for the On-U sound. He also started
his own label, Century Records. What marked Bim
Sherman out from his contemporaries was not just
his plaintively sweet vocal delivery, or the
matching subtlety of his songwriting,
but the fact that throughout his career
he maintained a fierce defence of his own
independence as an artist, keeping control of his
output both creatively and commercially.
Bim Sherman died, as a result of cancer, on
November 17, 2000. |
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JUSTIN HINDS
Born:
May 7, 1942
St. Ann
Jamaica
Died: March 16, 2005 |
Distinctive vocalist and one of Jamaica's most
talented songwriters Justin Hinds
is probably best known as the leader of the
Dominoes, one of the first Rasta-inspired vocal
groups who emerged in the ska days. They easily
adapted changes in style and tempo when the
driving ska beat slowed significantly eventually
becoming rocksteady then followed by a style
acquiring the title of reggae. Their popularity
remained undiminished until the group split up in
the early 90's. His work
with Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records, where his
most notable song, 'Carry
Go Bring Come'
in 1963, went to number one
in Jamaica. He recorded seventy singles between
1964 and 1966, and was the most popular artist on
the record label.
Although not as prominent in Jamaica in
later years, Justin Hinds is a household name in
Europe, especially in France.
Hinds died of lung cancer in 2005. |
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SIMPLE SIMON
Born:
Feb 11
1956
Jamaica
Died: Feb 6, 2004 |
Jamaica's Foundation Dancehall Singer Simple Simon
had a special gift of a talented lyricist,
as his songs have
enriched every collectors shelf with many,
hit singles throughout
his career. In 1985 he
recorded the albums 'Bad Man' produced by Ranking
Joe and 'Reggae move' a production by Bunny Lee.
Although diagnosed with terminal cancer in late
2000, Simple Simon refused to allow his illness to
disable his ability to continue to perform and
promote classic reggae music. He even refused to
have his larynx removed
when he found out he'd never be able
to sing again. After a long battle with cancer of
the oesophagus, he died on February 6, 2004. |
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RANKING TOYAN
(Toyan)
Born:
Jamaica
Died: 1991 |
Ranking Toyan, started off in the mid 70's DJ-ing
for some of the biggest sound
systems in Jamaica. He scored a hit in 1978
with the track 'Disco Pants'
on the Roots Tradition label. In
1981 he released the album 'How the West
Was Won', generally agreed
as Toyan's masterpiece, an
album with staggering credentials: released by
Greensleeves, written and produced by Henry
'Junjo'
Lawes, backed by the Roots Radics, recorded at
Channel One, and mixed by Scientist at King
Tubby's studio. In 1982/83 he
released several great albums for Jah Thomas,
Scientist and Lawes. In 1991 he was murdered by
gunmen. The exact details about his murder are
still not clear. |
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JACK
RUBY
Born:
Circa 1940's
Jamaica
Died: 1989 |
Jack
Ruby (born Lawrence Lindo) was
an important reggae
producer / sound system operator
linked to the Ocho
Rios-sound of St. Anns Bay.
He is perhaps best known
for his production associations with
Burning Spear around the start of his Island
career, Justin
Hinds, as well as numerous
high calibre reggae artists like:
The Gaylads, Big Youth, King Tubby, Errol
Thompson, Ken Booth and The Black Disciples.
His most outstanding credit is Burning
Spear's 'Marcus Garvey'
album.
A generous sampling of his work is
available on the album: 'Jack
Ruby Presents the Black Foundation'.
In 1989 he died from heart problems due to cocaine
addiction. |
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JOHNNY RINGO
Born:
1961
Jamaica
Died: July 1, 2005 |
Johnny Ringo, was popularly known for his
intelligent pronunciations and was described as
having similar dj styles to that of the great
General Echo. Johnny Ringo is known in the old
dancehall school for songs
such as 'Bad bwoy
haffi fit',
'Push lady push' and 'Hot
Number'. He has over 15
albums to his credit. Back in the days,
he used to
Dj on sound systems like Gemini, lees Unlimited,
Stereo One, Stereophonic, Volcano
and killamanjaro. The veteran Dj spent most
of the 80's in the US. He
returned to Jamaica in the early 90's where he
started recording, but soon realised that his era
had passed so he started making a living cutting
dub
plates for sound systems in Jamaica & abroad.
He died on July 1st 2005 suffering from
cocaine addiction. |
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SIMPLETON
Born:
1971
St Andrew
Jamaica
Died: Nov 7, 2004 |
Simpleton (born Christopher Harrison) was a
Jamaican reggae DJ Originally from the Tavern area
of St Andrew Jamaica. He
shot to fame in 1992 when he scored a number one
hit on the JBC Radio One and RJR Top 40 charts
with 'Coca Cola Bottle
Shape'. In the mid 1990s he
hit the Top 10 on the charts with
'Quarter to Twelve',
produced by Anthony Red Rose.
Simpleton released three reggae
albums in the mid-1990's.
After being virtually idle from the Jamaican music
scene, Simpleton died on a
Sunday
night at the Andrews Memorial Hospital in
Kingston. Simpleton, who reportedly suffered from
high blood pressure, collapsed and was rushed to
hospital after suffering a heart attack. He was
just 33
years old. |
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BILLY BOYO
Born:
Sept 21, 1969
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Oct 29, 2000 |
Billy
Boyo (born Billy Rowe) was
probably the most prolific of the early-80’s child
MC’s. In 1982 Henry 'Junjo' Lawes
recorded this talented youthman deejay together
with Little Harry for a two artist 'clash' album
entitled
'DJ Clash Volume 2', released by Greensleeves
Records. Billy Boyo also became part of Junjo's
famous Volcano sound system and performed
alongside Burro Banton, Little John, Toyan, Josey
Wales, Lee Van Cleef, Yellowman and others. Boyo's
career was short-lived
and little was heard of Boyo since the second half
of the eighties. Rumors spread that Billy Boyo and
Little Harry had been shot and killed. However;
Billy in fact died of a brain tumor on October
29th 2000, after a two month long struggle to beat
the disease. |
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EARLY
B 'The Doctor'
Born:
Feb, 1956/57
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Sept 11, 1994 |
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Early
B was an early dancehall reggae deejay whose
lyrics had a 'cultural' bent, noted mainly in his
hits 'Visit of King Selassie', 'History of
Jamaica' and 'Wheely Wheely'. Early B began his
career in the early 1980's deejaying exclusively
for Killamanjaro sound system alongside his
sparring partner Super Cat. Early B was a
well-respected lyricist by the sound system deejay
fraternity, possibly the best of the early-to-mid
'80s dancehall era. He recorded several albums
during the mid-80s, which remain well-circulated
in the digital age today. In 1994 he was
tragically gunned down while onstage inside the
Windsor Cricket Club in Boston.The dance was put
on by deejay and close friend Brigadier Jerry,
featuring JahLoveMuzik, the Twelve Tribes of
Israel sound system from Jamaica. While rumours
have circulated as to the reasoning behind the
murder, his killers have never been found. |
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FREDDIE MCKAY
Born:
1947
St. Catherine
Jamaica
Died: Nov 19, 1986 |
Rocksteady singer Freddie McKay had a few hits in
the '60s (one of which was miscredited to someone
else!), recorded with the Soul Defenders, among
other studio groups, and worked with Jamaica's top
reggae producers Duke Reid, Coxsone Dodd, and
Prince Buster. He went on to record for the Studio
One
and Treasure Isle labels, working with studio
bands 'the Revolutionaires' and 'the Soul
Defenders', with whom McKay cut 'Picture on the
Wall' his biggest hit. According to the
compilation Wake Up Jamaica, another one of
McKay's hits, 'Love Is a Treasure,' was initially
released in the late '60s as a Treasure Isle
single. The song's reissue in the early '70s got
the performer wrong again, this time listing Tommy
McCook's All Stars. Eventually, the record was set
straight and a few of Freddie's singles remained
perennial favorites on ska and rocksteady
compilations decades later.
In 1986 Freddie died
of a
heart attack. |
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MICHAEL SMITH
Born:
1954
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Aug 17, 1983 |
Michael Smith was an incredibly
talented, politically ferocious dub poet who,
tragically, lived long enough to release only one
record. He began his career as a poet, raged
against a Jamaican political machine that seemed
to fail the majority of its people. Smith's poetry
reached the ears of Linton Kwesi Johnson and he
brought Smith to England to record an album of dub
poetry. Produced by Dennis Bovell and LKJ, Smith's
debut, Mi Cyaan Believe It, was a scintillating
piece of work,a signal that along with LKJ and
Mutabaruka, dub poetry was entering an incredibly
fertile period. In 1983, four men stoned Smith to
death after he was seen passing the Jamaica Labour
Party’s office. There were rumours at the time
that his killing had been politically motivated,
but these may well been cynical attempts at
exploiting his death. Michael Smith himself
supported no political party and had chosen to
stay away from politics. |
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BRENT
DOWE
Born:
June 29, 1946
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Jan 29, 2004 |
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Brent
Dowe was one of the singers and founding members
of the vocal trio The Melodians. They were one of
Jamaica's greatest rocksteady groups, cutting a
series of classic singles during the late '60s and
early '70s that included the internationally famed
'Rivers of Babylon' ( which he sang lead on) and 'Sweet
Sensation'.The group was formed in the Greenwich
Town area of Kingston in 1963 and included Tony
Brevett and Brent Dowe, who split lead vocal
duties, plus full-time harmony singer Trevor
McNaughton. Dowe left the group in 1973 and
recorded solo singles during the mid-'70s. The
trio reconvened once again in the early '80s and
cut a reunion album of new material. Brent Dowe
suffered from a heart attack in his home in
Hugenden, Jamaica at January 29, 2004 at the age
of 59. |
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JAH
LLOYD
Born:
Aug 28, 1947
St Catherine
Jamaica
Died: June 12, 1999 |
Jamaica's Pat Francis recorded under a lot of
names during the 70s, including Jah Lion, Jah
Lloyd and Black Lion of Judah. In the mid-1960s he
was a member of the Mediators. Never afraid to
reinvent himself, Francis turned toaster and DJ
for tracks like 'Black Snowfall' and 'World Class'.
He tasted critical success as Jah Lion when he
recorded the marvelous 'Columbia Colly' album with
Lee 'Scratch' Perry. He became Jah Lloyd in
1978, signing a record deal with Front Line and
although songs like 'Jah Lion' and 'Cocaine' tried
hard, they stirred up little public interest.
Francis turned to production work as
the 70s ended, becoming Jah Lion again. Although
he stayed active behind the scenes, his major
recording work was behind him. He was only 52 when
he was killed in Kingston on June 12, 1999. |
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ROMAN
STEWART
Born:
May 11, 1957
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Jan 25, 2004 |
Roman's career began in the early 70s. His
breakthrough came in 1974 with the Festival
winning 'Hooray Festival',
written by his brother Tinga.
Roman went on to record many great tunes for
producers such as Phil Pratt, Linval Thompson and
Everton Da Silva. Perhaps his best known tune is 'Rice
And Peas', cut for Linval Thompson in 1979. Roman
recorded over 70 singles, but only has a few
albums to his name, including Running Away From
Love and Wisdom Of Solomon. He also has an album
of duets with his brother Tinga.
During a performance, he put the microphone down,
complaining of chest pains. He later collapsed and
was
rushed to hospital in a coma.
Stewart, who was known for his heavy drinking and
substance abuse, went into a second coma and did
not recover. |
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TREVOR SPARKS
Born:
1965
Nottingham
UK
Died: March 23, 2004 |
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Fine
lovers rock vocalist Trevor Sparks (real name
Trevor Chambers) was born in England to Jamaican
parents. During his musical career he brought
massive tunes such as 'Feel Like Making Love', 'I'm
Ready', 'If You Need Me Girl', 'Roses Are Red' and
'On The Wings Of Love'. The latter, a cover
version of the Jeffrey Osborne tune, was a big hit
in 1988. Trevor Sparks has worked with several
well known producers including King Jammy, who
produced Sparks' major hit 'Bye Bye Love' which
was released on the 'China Town' riddim. He also
produced Sparks' album of the same name, which was
released by Super Power Records in the late 1980s.
Trevor lost his battle with diabetes and all the
complications this disease causes. He died on
March 23rd 2004 in a nursing home in Chicago,
where he moved to after he left Jamaica and New
York. |
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LACKSLEY CASTELL
Born:
Early 60's
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Mid 80's |
Lacksley Castell, possessed of a high, light voice
that resembled that of the late, great Hugh
Mundell, began cutting sides in the late 70's with
producers
such as Prince Jammy,
voicing a variety of tunes that Jammy
put out with a couple of Mundell tracks on the
album Jah Fire. These were moderately successful,
though many mistook him for Mundell, and led to
Robert 'Negus Roots' Palmer deciding to voice him,
firstly on a couple of 12"s
and then on two albums. The first album 'Morning
Glory' has riddims by Sly & Robbie and backing
vocals by Don Carlos. The second, 'Princess Lady',
was one of Mad Professor's first productions.
Details about Castell's
death are not really clear but according to a
midnight dread radio show program aired in the
spring of 1984, Lacksley Castell died of an asthma
attack. |
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JACKIE EDWARDS
Born:
1938
Jamaica
Died: Aug 15, 1992 |
Jackie Edwards has been called the Nat King Cole
of Jamaica and in many ways
it is an apt description for this smooth and
versatile singer, who was also a gifted
songwriter. Born Wilfred Gerald Edwards in 1938 in
Jamaica, he was a star on the island by the late
1950s, when he was discovered by future
Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who
persuaded Jackie Edwards to relocate to the U.K.
in 1962. Jackie Edwards had a huge talent,
and although some critics have
dismissed him as too smooth and sentimental (he
was the original 'cool ruler'), he recorded solid
material in all of Jamaica's evolving musical
modes, including ska, rocksteady, roots and lovers
rock, but also made contributions in straight pop
styles, even recording a marvelous gospel album.
He died on August 15, 1992 of a heart attack. |
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JACKIE MITTOO
Born:
March 3, 1948
St Ann
Jamaica
Died: Dec 16, 1990 |
The
late great Jackie Mittoo was reggae's premier
keyboard player
whose work was of great influence on the direction
of reggae in the sixties and seventies. Mittoo
showcased his skills and talent in bands like The
Skatalites (which he joined when he was 15 years
old), Soul Brothers and Soul Vendors, scouted and
arranged for Coxsone Dodd's labels and issued solo
albums.
In the eighties the dancehall movement based their
rhythm arrangements on material that Mittoo had
pioneered in
the sixties. In 1990, Mittoo entered hospital on
December 12 and died of cancer on December 16.
He
was 42 years old. |
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ROLAND ALPHONSO
Born:
Jan 12, 1931
Havana
Cuba
Died: Nov 20, 1998 |
Saxophonist Roland Alphonso aka 'The Chief
Musician' was one of the major figures of early
ska and reggae on several fronts: his recordings
as a
soloist and bandleader, his work as a member of
the Skatalites, his prolific log of session
appearances on 1960s Jamaican recordings, and his
role as arranger for Studio One. He was born
in Cuba in 1931 to a Jamaican mother and Cuban
father, and moved to
Jamaica with his mother when he was two years old.
He suffered a burst blood vessel in his head
during a Skatalites show in Hollywood in November
1998 and died after another burst vessel a
few weeks later. |
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WINSTON GRENNAN
Born:
Sept 16, 1944
St Thomas
Jamaica
Died: Oct 27, 2000 |
Winston Grennan, was one of Jamaica's outstanding
drummers. He helped define rock steady in the mid
60s, and was the leading drummer in the island's
top session bands. He continued to back every
noteworthy artist in Jamaica, in
the early reggae period, including Bob Marley. As
a premier exponent of the rock-steady idiom and
creator of the one-drop beat, Grennan is among
Jamaica's original master drummers,
one who has created a unique playing style and
made important contributions to the island's
popular music.
In April of 2000, Winston was diagnosed with lung
and bone cancer and passed away on October 27,
2000. |
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MR
BOGLE
Born:
Aug 22, 1964
Kingston
Jamaica
Died: Jan 20, 2005 |
Years
in the Dancehall Industry with moves that branded
him as Jamaica’s
#1 male dancer, Bogle aka Mr Wacky
(Born Gerald Levy) is a legend that lives
on, even after his death. He invented dance moves
that put Dancehall Music
on the map. Bogle had the ability
to create dances with out effort and would end up
having the world do the new dance. Creator of the
Willie Bounce, Wacky Dip, Urkle Dance, Bogle Dance,
Pelper, LOY, Jerry Springer, Zip It Up, World
Dance, Out and Bad, Sweeper, Stuckie, and many
other popular dances.
In the Nineties, Levy created the Bogle, the
scene's first crossover dance move. He was also a
major influence on breakout artists such as
Elephant Man and Beenie Man, who gave shout-outs
to Levy in songs like 'Row Like a Boat'.
He was killed in a drive-by shooting in the early
morning hours of January 20th 2005 in Kingston,
Jamaica. |
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CLANCY ECCLES
Born:
Dec 9, 1940
Dean Pen
Jamaica
Died: June 30, 2005 |
Clancy Eccles made important contributions to the
evolution of Jamaican popular music during the
late 1960s and early 1970s, as a singer, record
producer and concert promoter; as a social
activist, Eccles also helped produce significant
changes to Jamaica's political landscape during
the same era.
It began in 1959, when as a 19-year-old singer he
recorded for pioneer producer Clement 'Sir Coxsone'
Dodd his first sound system hit with the spiritual
and socially strong 'Freedom' before scoring with
even bigger hits with River Jordan, Feel The
Rhythm, Sweet Jamaica and Fatty Fatty. Eccles
launched different record labels for his works and
recorded artists such as Alton Ellis, Joe Higgs,
the Trinidian Lord Creator ('Kingston Town'),
Beres Hammond and many more. Eccles died on June
30, 2005 in Spanish Town Hospital from
complications of a stroke. |
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TOMMY
MCCOOK
Born:
March 3, 1927
Havana
Cuba
Died: May 5, 1998 |
Thomas Matthew McCook was born of Jamaican
parentage in Havana and in 1933 they returned to
Jamaica. He developed his musical skills when
attending the famed Alpha School for boys from the
age of ten.
As leader of the Skatalites and also the group's
elder statesman, Tommy was a determinedly cool
head within the group and a musician of
immeasurable ability. During a career that spanned
more than half a century, McCook brought his
expertise in the field of jazz and knowledge of
Latin rhythms and
melodies to provide greater variety to
the nascent forms of ska, rock steady and reggae
and played on literally thousands of recording
sessions throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
During his later years, Tommy lived in the United
States at Atlanta, Georgia
and died there from heart failure on
May 5, 1998. |
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MIKEY DREAD
Born:
1954
Port Antonio
Jamaica
Died:
March 15, 2008 |
Michael 'Mikey Dread' Campbell started out as an
engineer with the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation
(JBC). He soon started his own radio program
called Dread At The Controls, where he played
nothing but reggae. Well-known for
its fun and adventurous sonic style, Dread At The
Controls became a hit all over Jamaica. By the
time, Campbell had earned a
solid reputation as a singer
and
producer and began recording his own material.
Distinctive albums such as Dread At The Controls,
Evolutionary Rockers, and World War III all became
favorites amongst reggae fans. His collaboration
with producers King Tubby and Carlton Patterson
stand out as some of the best work each party has
done. Mikey also set up his Dread at the Controls
label and worked successfully with the punkband
The Clash. In Oct. 2007, it was announced that
Campbell was being treated for a brain tumour.
He passed away on
March 15 2008. |
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JOE GIBBS
Born:
1943
Montego Bay
Jamaica
Died:
Feb 21, 2008 |
Producer
Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson career spans a
healthy chunk of Jamaica's musical history. From
the
early days of rocksteady to '80s dancehall, Gibbs
put together a slew of hits by such island stars
as Pioneers, Dennis Brown, the Heptones, Culture
(The 1977 Culture album Two Sevens Clash is
probably Gibbs' most internationally acclaimed
production) Frankie Paul, and Nicky Thomas. Along
with his contemporary, producer Bunny "Striker"
Lee, Gibbs can lay claim to being one of the most
important of Jamaica's musical giants, due not
only
to the fact he stayed active for such a lengthy
amount of time, but also
because he was able to produce a consistent run of
hits of the highest order. He revolutionised the dub sound and
made it an international phenomenon.Gibbs died of a heart
attack on
thursday feb 21 2008, at the age of 65. |
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CEDELLA BOOKER
Born:
July 23, 1926
St. Ann
Jamaica
Died:
April 8, 2008 |
Cedella Booker, born in 1926 in Jamaica, was 18 when she married Norval
Marley,
a British man 32 years her senior. She gave birth to Bob
Marley in 1945 who brought
Jamaican reggae music to international prominence,
becoming its international image.
Booker was best-known for her famous son, but she
was also an author and musician. Her two books
about Bob Marley offered glimpses into his
personal life. Booker released two albums, Awake
Zion in 1991, and in the following year a
collection of Caribbean folk songs for children
called Smilin' Island of Song. She also frequently
performed with Bob Marley's sons Ky-Mani, Ziggy,
Stephen, Damian and
Julian. She died peacefully on April 8, 2008 at
her South Florida home after a long illness. She
was 81. Booker is survived by two children,
Claudette Livingston and Richard Booker,
and 52 grandchildren. |
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ROY
SHIRLEY
Born:
July 18, 1944
Kingston
Jamaica
Died:
July, 2008 |
Roy
Shirley also known as King Roy Shirley and The
High Priest was a Jamaican singer whose
career spanned the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras,
and whose "Hold Them" is regarded by some as the
first ever rocksteady song. Roy began singing in
talent contests in the late 1950s. Encouraged by
fellow artist Jimmy Cliff, who introduced him
on stage during one of his first performances, Roy
turned professional
in his teens. His early recordings for producer
Simeon L Smith remain unreleased, but his debut,
the ballad Shirley (1965) was a local ska hit. Roy
then formed the Leaders vocal group with Ken
Boothe, Joe White and Chuck Josephs before joining
the first incarnation of the Uniques with Slim
Smith and Franklyn White, recording for Sir JJ
label and Caltone.
Based in England from 1973, in recent years he set
up British Universal Talent Development
Association, to support disaffected youth. He
continued to perform in Jamaica and north America,
and his last show took place at the Sierra Nevada
world music festival in June. Roy Shirley died of
a heart attack at his home in Thamesmead, London
in July 2008, aged 63. |
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ALTON ELLIS
Born:
Sept 1, 1938
Kingston
Jamaica
Died:
Oct 10, 2008 |
Alton
Ellis best known as one of the innovators of
rocksteady music, was often referred to as the 'Godfather
of Rocksteady', began his career as a dancer at
the age of sixteen. After two years, Alton took an
interest in singing. His debut was as a vocal duo
named Alton and Eddy. Their first recording on the
Coxsone label, 'Muriel', was a major hit in
Jamaican recording history. After Eddy left
Jamaica to live in America, Alton formed a group
named 'Alton and The Flames'.They recorded a large
number of hit songs on the Treasure
Isle label, including 'Dance Crashers',
Girl I've got a Date', 'Rock Steady' and 'Black
Mans Pride'. After three years
with Alton and The Flames, Alton launched his
career as a solo artist and joined the Studio One
Label in 1967.
The amount of hits that Alton created during this
period is so enormous that to mention them all
would be impossible. 'I'm Still in Love', 'Breaking
Up' and 'I'm Just a Guy' were just a few. In 2004,
Ellis was awarded the Order of Distinction by the
Jamaican government in recognition of his
achievements. In December 2007 he was diagnosed
with cancer and died on October 10, 2008 at
Hammersmith Hospital, West London. |
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BYRON LEE
Born:
June 27, 1935
Christiana, Manchester
Jamaica
Died:
Nov 4, 2008 |
Byron
Lee was a major figure of Caribbean popular music.
As leader of the Dragonaires,(one of Jamaica's top
show bands, a 14-piece outfit whose line-up was
always changing, touring throughout the Caribbean
and into
North America,spreading the ska sound) he helped
to build the careers of dozens of the island's
most talented vocalists.
He was also instrumental in raising the profile of
Jamaican music and boosted the popularity of
calypso on the island
by collaborating with other leading
stars. He went on to establish Dynamic
Sounds, one of the largest and best-equipped
recording facilities in the Caribbean, where much
of the most popular reggae was recorded, and
later concentrated on producing soca, the up-tempo
successor to calypso. In 2007 Byron Lee was
diagnosed with cancer,despite his cancer, Byron
Lee continued to tour. In October 2008,
after receiving treatment for several weeks in
Florida, Lee returned to
spend his final days in Jamaica.
In a ceremony at the University Hospital of the
West Indies on October 26, 2008, he was awarded
the Order of Jamaica. Lee died on the 4th of
November 2008, aged 73. |
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