Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
— 29 May 2004) was a Jamaican
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
singer, initially coming to prominence in the 1970s with his work with
Bunny Lee
Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...
, but remaining popular throughout his career.
Biography
Barry Brown was one of a number of singers to find success in the 1970s under record producer Bunny Lee. After forming a short-lived group called The Aliens with Rod Taylor and Johnny Lee, Brown went solo. Although his first release, "Girl You're Always on My Mind", had little impact, his vocal style soon found popularity, with his first hit single coming with 1979's "Step It Up Youthman", which led to an album of the same name on Paradise Records.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 40 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
Leval Alphonso Thompson (born 12 October 1954, Kingston, Jamaica), also known as Linval Thompson, is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and record producer.
Biography
Thompson was raised in Kingston, Jamaica, but spent time with his mother in ...
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...
and Coxsone Dodd, as well as releasing self-produced material. He recorded for Studio One in 1983, including ''Far East''. 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
Jah Shaka, also known as the Zulu Warrior is a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who has been operating a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system since the early 1970s. His name is an amalgamation of the Rastafarian t ...
.
In the 1990s, Brown's health deteriorated, suffering with
asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
and substance abuse problems, and he died in May 2004 in Sone Waves recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica, after falling and hitting his head.
Discography
*''Stand Firm'' (1978), Justice
*''Step It Up Youthman'' (1979), Paradise
*''Cool Pon Your Corner'' (1979),
Trojan
Trojan or Trojans may refer to:
* Of or from the ancient city of Troy
* Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...
*''Superstar'' (1979), Striker Lee/Jackpot
*''I'm Not So Lucky'' (1980), Black Roots
*''Prince Jammy Presents Barry Brown Showcase'' (1980), Jammy's/Micron
*''Showcase'' (1980), Third World
*''Artist of the 80's'' (1980), TR International
*''Vibes of Barry Brown'' (1981), Gorgon
*''Far East'' (1982), Channel One
*''Barry'' (1982), Vista Sounds – reissued as ''The Best of Barry Brown'' (1995), JA Classics
*''I'm Still Waiting'' (1983), Rocktone Records
*''Showdown Vol 1'' (1984), Empire/Hitbound – with
Little John
Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, al ...
*''Roots & Culture'' (1984), Uptempo – with
Willi Williams
Willi Williams (also Willie Williams) is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and producer. He is known as the "Armagideon Man" after his hit, "Armagideon Time", first recorded in 1977 at Studio One in Kingston. The song was covered by The Cla ...
*''Right Now'' (1984), Time
*''More Vibes Of Barry Brown Along With Stama Rank'' (1986), King Culture – with
Stama Rank
Stama (german: Groß Stamm) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sorkwity, within Mrągowo County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Sorkwity, west of Mrągowo, and east of t ...
*''Same Sound'' (1990)
*''Reggae Heights'' (2003), Mafia & Fluxy
;Compilations:
*''The Best Of Barry Brown'' (1984),
Culture Press
Culture Press is an independent record label from UK specialized in Jamaican music.
LP Discography
*VSLP5000 - Bob Marley - Interviews
*VSLP5001 - Clint Eastwood - The Best Of Clint Eastwood - 1984
*VSLP5002 - Dillinger - Blackboard Jungle - ...
*''Barry Brown'', Thompson Sound
*''Mr Moneyman'' (1991), Lagoon
*''Barry Brown & Johnny Clarke Sings Roots & Culture'' (1992), Fatman – with
Johnny Clarke
Johnny Clarke (born 12 January 1955) is a Jamaican reggae musician, best known for his recordings with producer Bunny Lee in the 1970s.
Biography
Clarke grew up in the Kingston ghetto of Whitfield Town and attended Jamaica College.Attack
*''Barry Brown in Dub'' (2010), Black Arrow