Leroy May (18 March 1966 – 31 July 2015), better known as Red Dragon and initially as Redman, was 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 ...

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

who was active starting in the early 1980s.

Biography

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 ...

, May deejayed with several

sound systems In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

in the early 1980s, including Barrington Hi Fi, Stone Love, People's Choice, and his own Rambo Mango, initially working under the name Redman.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 243-4 His "Laughing Dragon"

dubplate A dubplate is an acetate disc usually of 10 inches diameter, traditionally used by studios to test recordings prior to mastering for the subsequent pressing of a vinyl record, but pioneered by reggae sound systems as a way to play exclusive music ...

became popular, prompting a change of stage name to Red Dragon. Early recordings included "Computer" for producer

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

, "Nah Get Nutten" for

Harry J Harry Zephaniah Johnson (6 July 1945 – 3 April 2013), known by the stage name Harry J, was a Jamaican reggae record producer. Biography Born in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, Johnson started to play music with the Virtues as a bass player bef ...

, and his first big hit "Hol' a Fresh" for

Winston Riley Winston Riley (14 May 1943 – 19 January 2012) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and record producer. The ''Jamaica Gleaner'' notes he was one of the most successful reggae producers.

.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 253 He went on to record for

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 ...

and

King 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 ...

, and in 1989 his debut album was released, a split LP with his brother, the deejay

Flourgon Michael May (born c.1970), better known as Flourgon, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. Biography May got his nickname of 'Flourgon', which became his stage name, due to his love of dumplings.Henry, Krista (2008)Glory days - Flourgon 'Run Tings' ...

. He also started his own Dragon label, and moved into production, and helped to nurture the early careers of artists such as

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most ...

and Terry Ganzie. In the early 1990s, he returned to recording, enjoying hits with a variety of producers including Riley, Bobby Digital, and

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

, and had a major hit single along with

Brian & Tony Gold Brian and Tony Gold are a Jamaican reggae duo from Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica.Johnson, Richard (2018)Introducing Anu Brian Gold, '' Jamaica Gleaner'', 30 December 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018 History Contrary to many beliefs, Brian ...

with "

Compliments on Your Kiss "Compliments on Your Kiss" is a jazz-reggae song by Jamaican deejay Red Dragon (musician), Red Dragon featuring Jamaican reggae duo Brian and Tony Gold. The song was written by Sly Dunbar, Winston Harris, and Red Dragon (under his real name, Ler ...

" in 1994, the single reaching number two in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. May died on 31 July 2015 at the

University Hospital of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the ...

after being ill for some time. Leroy 'Red Dragon' May is survived by spouse, three children, three brothers and one sisterCampbell, Howard (2015)
Remembering Red Dragon
, ''

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 ...

'', 5 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015

Discography

Albums

*''Red Dragon vs. Flourgon'' (1989), Techniques *''Pum Pum Shorts'' (1992), Dragon *''Good Old College'' (1992), VP *''Bun Them'' (1994), VP *''Rusty Magnum'' (1998), Slammin

Singles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Red Dragon 1966 births 2015 deaths Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians VP Records artists