Freddie McKay (sometimes Freddy McKay) (1947 – 19 November 1986) was a Jamaican singer, whose career spanned the

rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...

and

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 ...

eras.

Biography

McKay, born in

Saint Catherine Parish Saint Catherine (capital Spanish Town) is a parish in the south east of Jamaica. It is located in the county of Middlesex, and is one of the island's largest and most economically valued parishes because of its many resources. It includes the f ...

, Jamaica, is regarded as one of the most soulful singers to come out of Jamaica.Foster, Chuck (1999) ''Roots Rock Reggae'', Billboard Books, , p. 260 McKay first recorded for producer

Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...

in 1967, his first hit coming the same year with "Love Is A Treasure", recorded for

Duke Reid Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner. He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Troja ...

Treasure Isle Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner. He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Troja ...

set-up.Larkin, Colin: ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', 1998, Virgin Books, McKay then enjoyed a fruitful spell with

Coxsone Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...

, recording a number of popular songs for

Studio One Studio One or Studio 1 may refer to: * Studio One (software), digital audio workstation software, developed by PreSonus * ''Studio One'' (American TV series), a 1948–1958 American television anthology series * ''Studio One'' (Emirati TV progra ...

backed by The Soul Defenders,Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, including "High School Dance", "Sweet You Sour You", and "Picture on the Wall", the latter the title track of his 1971 debut album. A second album, ''Lonely Man'' followed in 1974. McKay recorded a duet with

Horace Andy Horace Andy (born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951) is a Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", as well as "Angel", "Spying Glass" and "Five Man Army" with English tri ...

in 1975, "Talking Love" which was also a hit in Jamaica.Thompson, Dave:"Reggae & Caribbean Music", 2002, Backbeat Books, McKay enjoyed another hit in 1976 with "Dance This Ya Festival", which won the '' Jamaican Independence Popular Song Contest'' that year. McKay teamed up with Alvin Ranglin for the misleadingly titled ''The Best Of Freddie McKay'' (it was an album of new recordings) in 1977, McKay now adapting to the prevailing roots reggae style. The

Ossie Hibbert Oswald "Ossie" Hibbert (16 January 1951 – 1 July 2012) was a Jamaican organist, keyboard player and record producer. Biography Hibbert began to be active in Jamaican music in the mid-1970s, working as a keyboard player as part of The Professio ...

-produced showcase album ''Creation'' followed in 1979, and ''Tribal Inna Yard'' in 1983. McKay maintained a faithful following until his death in 1986 from a heart attack, shortly after finishing his final album, ''I'm a Free Man''. His son, Andrew Chin, known under the pseudonym

Brushy One String Andrew Chin, better known by the stage name Brushy One String, is a Jamaican singer and bassist. Early life Andrew Chin is the son of Jamaican reggae singer Freddie McKay. According to Chin, the idea of playing a guitar with a single string ...

, is a musician known for playing a one-stringed guitar.

Discography

Albums

*''Picture On The Wall'' (1971, Studio One) *''Lonely Man'' (1974, Dragon UK / Dynamic Jamaica) (reissued 1996, Lagoon) *''Fire is Burning'' (1976, Amethyst Records) *''The Best Of Freddie McKay'' (1977, GG's) *''Creation'' (1979, Plant and Joe Gibbs) *''Harsh Words'' (1982 Gorgon) *''Tribal Inna Yard'' (1983, Move) *''I'm a Free Man'' (1988 Uptempo) *''Freddie McKay & Soul Defenders at Studio One'' (1991, Heartbeat) *''The Right Time Recordings'' (1997, GG's) (with Jah Stone) *''The Right Time'' (1999, Rhino) *''When You're Smiling'' (2002, Rhino) (''Lonely Man'' + bonus tracks) *''Doin' It Right'' (2003, Charly)

Single

*Freddie McKay – "Dance Dis A Festival" – 1976 Carifest Winning Song

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKay, Freddie 1947 births 1986 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians 20th-century Jamaican male singers People from Saint Catherine Parish