Lloyd Charmers (born Lloyd Tyrell, 1938 – 27 December 2012, also known as Lloyd Chalmers, Lloyd Terell, or Lloyd Terrell)Ruddock, George (2012)

, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 29 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012 was a Jamaican

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

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 ...

singer,

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

player and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Career

Lloyd Charmers was born in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

.Lloyd Charmers
,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Retrieved 29 December 2012 His professional career began in 1962, when he performed as the Charmers with Roy Willis on

Vere Johns Joseph Vere Everette Johns (28 November 1893–10 September 1966

' ''Talent Hour'', starting a recording career soon afterward. When the Charmers split, he joined

Slim Smith Slim Smith (born Keith Smith; 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica – 1972) was a ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. In their book ''Reggae: The Rough Guide'' (1997), Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton described Smith as "the greatest vocalist to emerge ...

and Martin Jimmy Riley in the Uniques. Charmers subsequently moved on to a solo career, releasing two albums in 1970, and also recording X-rated tracks such as "Birth Control" and the album ''Censored'', these more risqué outings appearing under his real name or as 'Lloydie & The Lowbites'. He was also briefly a member of the Messengers, a short-lived supergroup that featured

Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...

, B. B. Seaton and Busty Brown. He set up his own

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

Splash in the early 1970s,Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, and moved into production.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 308 Productions by him were notable for their sophisticated arrangements. With his session band the Now Generation he produced artists such as Ken Boothe (including some of Boothe's most successful solo releases of the period, such as his

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

David Gates David Ashworth Gates (December 11, 1940 – January 5, 2023) was a American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread, which reached the top of the musical charts i ...

' "

Everything I Own "Everything I Own" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's soft rock band Bread for their 1972 album ''Baby I'm-a Want You.'' The original reached No. 5 on the American ''Billboard'' H ...

"), B. B. Seaton,

the Gaylads The Gaylads are a Jamaican vocal group. They were one of the top rocksteady vocal groups active in Jamaica between 1963 and 1973. History The group, formed in Kingston, originally consisted of singers Harris "B.B." Seaton, Winston Delano S ...

, and

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

. Charmers later relocated to the UK where he continued to record and produce in a variety of styles, from lovers rock to

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

. In 1980, UK ska band

the Specials The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are an English Two-tone (music genre), 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall (singer), Terr ...

had a hit with "Too Much Too Young", an adaptation of Charmers' 1969 song "Birth Control".

Death

Charmers died on 27 December 2012 from a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

(heart attack) in London while driving.

Discography

Albums

*''Reggae Charm'' (1970,

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck t ...

) (with

Byron Lee & the Dragonaires Byron Lee and the Dragonaires (known as Byron Lee's Dragonaires after Lee's death and now The Dragonaires) are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Byron ...

) *''Reggae Is Tight'' (1970, Trojan) *''Censored'' (1972, Lowbite) (as ''Lloydie and The Lowbites'') *''Charmers in Session'' (1973, Trojan) *''Wildflower Original Reggae Hits'' (1974, Trojan) *''Too Hot To Handle'' (1975, Wildflower) *''Golden Days'' (1980, Sarge) *''Sweet Memories'' (1982, Echo)

References

External links

Lloyd Charmers at Roots Archives
1938 births 2012 deaths Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican male singers Jamaican record producers Jamaican ska musicians Jamaican reggae singers Trojan Records artists Jamaican expatriates in England The Uniques (Jamaican group) members {{reggae-stub