Derrick Trought (born 1956), better known as Dee Sharp, is a British

lovers rock Lovers' rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...

singer who began his recording career in 1980, also joining Buzzz as lead singer for a time.

Biography

Sharp was born Derrick Trought in London in 1956. Sharp's debut single, a version of Leo Hall's "Let's Dub It Up", released in 1980, was the first release by

Fashion Records Fashion Records is a UK-based record label, publishing reggae music. Founded in summer 1980, Fashion Records is one of the more successful UK-based reggae labels, and one of only a few British reggae labels to release records that were produ ...

, and topped the reggae charts in the UK.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, , p. 396-7Larkin, Colin (1998) "Sharp, Dee" in ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 265 He followed this with "Swing and Dine"/"Follow Your Heart", which was also successful, and Sharp became established as one of the leading artists of the British lovers rock scene. In 1981 he joined the

Brit funk Brit funk (or Britfunk) is a musical style that has its origins in the British music scene of the late 1970s and which remained popular into the 1980s. It mixes elements from jazz, funk, soul, urban dance rhythms and pop hooks. The scene originate ...

group Buzzz as lead singer, the band signing to RCA Records and appearing on the BBC television show ''Ebony''. The group were moderately successful and Sharp was the cover star for the 31 July 1982 issue of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

''. Sharp left the band in 1982 and resumed his solo career, having further local reggae hits in 1983 with "Rising to the Top" and "Give It All You've Got". In 1984 he contributed a rap to Nick Heyward's song "Warning Sign", performing with Heyward on '' Top of the Pops''. He continued to record and perform both reggae and soul into the 1990s.''Blues & Soul'', Issues 538-551, p. 24

Discography

Singles

*"Let's Dub It Up" (1980),

Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

*"Swing and Dine"/"Follow Your Heart" (1980), Fashion *"Magician" (1983), RCA *"Take Your Time" *"Straighten Up and Fly Right" (1983), RCA *"Rising to the Top" (1983), Fashion *"Give It All You've Got" (1983) *"Moon Dance" (1987), Syncopate

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Dee 1956 births Living people British reggae musicians Lovers rock musicians