Johnny Clarke (born 12 January 1955) is a

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 ...

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 ...

musician, best known for his recordings with producer

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 ...

in the 1970s.

Biography

Clarke grew up in the Kingston

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

of Whitfield Town and attended Jamaica College.Unsung: Johnny Clarke, the hit machine
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 23 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012 In 1971 he won a talent contest in

Bull Bay Bull Bay is an area located on the southeast coast of Jamaica, to the east of Kingston on the border between St Andrew and St Thomas, beside Cow Bay. According to folklore, both bays were so named because cattle once roamed the whole area and ...

, his prize a meeting with producer

Clancy Eccles Clancy Eccles (9 December 1940 in Dean Pen, St. Mary, Jamaica – 30 June 2005 in Spanish Town, Jamaica)Katz was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer, songwriter, arranger, promoter, record producer and talent scout. Known mostly for his early regg ...

, with whom he recorded his first song, "God Made the Sea and the Sun", the following year.Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, Johnson, Richard (2014)
True believer in Johnny Clarke
, ''

'', 11 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014 The single didn't sell well, and disappointed with the lack of promotion from Eccles, he moved on to

Rupie Edwards Rupert Lloyd Edwards (born 4 July 1945) is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer. Biography Rupie Edwards was born in Goshen, in Saint Ann Parish.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 103–105 The fam ...

, who produced Clarke's first hits in 1973, with "Everyday Wondering" and "Julie". In 1974, Clarke moved on again, recording "Jump Back Baby" for

Glen Brown Glenmore Lloyd Brown (1943 or 1944Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2013)Tough Times for Glen Brown", '' Jamaica Observer'', 15 July 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2014Larkin, Colin, ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', 1998, Virgin Books, . – 4 ...

, before beginning a long association with

and his band

The Aggrovators The Aggrovators were a dub/reggae backing band in the 1970s and 1980s, and one of the main session bands of producer Bunny Lee. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time.Larkin, Colin ...

in 1974. "None Shall Escape the Judgement" was an immediate successMoskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 62. and became the title track on Clarke's debut album. Clarke was named Artist of the Year in Jamaica in both 1975 and 1976, and became one of the most popular singers on the island, mixing original songs with covers of popular reggae songs by other artists, and mixing roots and lovers-themed material. Many of Clarke's songs concern his faith as a Rasta and the beliefs of the Rastafari movement, including anti-violence (as on "Let Go Violence") and legalization of marijuana ("Legalize It"). He helped define the "Flying Cymbals" period that preceded the "Roots Rockers" sound of the mid- to late 1970s. Clarke was one of the first Jamaican artists signed to

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...

' Frontline subsidiary in 1976, releasing the albums ''Authorized Version'' and ''Rockers Time Now'' on the label. Clarke enjoyed further hits in the early 1980s with producer S Douglas, before working again with Lee. His popularity in Jamaica, however, declined, and he relocated to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1983, recording with

Mad Professor Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music ...

, as well as further recordings for Jamaican producers

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...

, Errol Thompson, and

Prince Jammy Lloyd James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub ma ...

. He has since occasionally reappeared with new material - ''Rasta Nuh Fear'' in 1992, and ''Rock With Me'' in 1997 - and continues to tour regularly. His song "None Shall Escape the Judgement" was featured on the Trojan roots compilations. Clarke is known for his so-called "African Roots" or knee-length dreadlocks, which, when performing live, he frequently conceals inside a large hat. At the climax of his concert, he removes his hat, revealing his "African Roots" to the audience. He set up his own Hit Machine label, his first album on the label being ''Jamaica 50 Johnny Clarke Sing Then Dub Them'', released in 2012 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence.Walters, Basil (2012)
Johnny Clarke releases 'JA 50' CD
, ''

'', 28 June 2012, retrieved 2012-07-01

Studio albums

*''None Shall Escape'' (1974) Total Sounds *''Moving Out'' (1975) Total Sounds *''Enter Into His Gates With Praise'' (1975) *''Sings In Fine Style'' (1975) *''I'm Gonna Put It On'' (1975) Vulcan *''No Woman No Cry'' (1976) Total Sounds *''Authorised Version'' (1976)

Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...

*''Rocker's Time Now'' (1976) Frontline *''Don't Stay Out Late'' (1976) Paradise *''Up Park Camp'' (1977) Justice *''Girl I Love You'' (1977) Justice *''Sweet Conversation'' (1978) Third World *''King of the Arena'' (1978) Third World *''Satisfaction'' (1979) Third World *''Down In a Babylon'' (1980) Cha Cha *''I Man Come Again'' (1982) Black Music *''Yard Style'' (1983)

Ariwa Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music ...

*''Reggae Party'' (1984) *''Sly & Robbie Present the Best of Johnny Clarke'' (1985)

Vista Sounds Vista usually refers to a distant view. Vista may also refer to: Software *Windows Vista, the line of Microsoft Windows client operating systems released in 2006 and 2007 *VistA, (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture) ...

*''Give Thanks'' (1985) Ariwa *''Enter into His Gates with praise'' (1989) Attack *''Rasta Nuh Fear'' (1992) Sonic Sounds *''Don't trouble trouble'' (1994) Attack *''Rock With Me'' (1997) *''Reggae Heights'' (2003) Mafia & Fluxy *''Jamaica 50 Johnny Clarke Sing Then Dub Them'' (2012), Hit Machine

References

External links

Johnny Clarke at Roots ArchivesInterview by Jah RebelInterview by Jah Rebel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Johnny 1955 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Performers of Rastafarian music Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican Rastafarians Greensleeves Records artists