Leroy Smart (born 1952), is a

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-songwriter and record producer from Kingston,

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 Hispa ...

Biography

Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned at the age of two. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, still run by Roman Catholi ...

, where he studied singing, drums, and dancing.Liner notes from the "Dread Hot In Africa" CD, 2006> Smart recorded his first single, "It Pains Me", in 1969 for a producer called Mr. Caribbean.Interview with Leroy Smart, 2006, liner notes from the "Dread Hot In Africa" CD In 1970, he recorded "Ethiopia" for Joe Gibbs and the first version of one of his most famous songs, "Pride & Ambition", with producer

Gussie Clarke Augustus "Gussie" Clarke (born 1954) is a reggae producer who worked with some of the top Jamaican reggae artists in the 1970s and later set up his own Music Works studio. Career Clarke started working in the music industry by cutting dub pla ...

. His breakthrough would come in 1973 with "Mother Liza", produced by Jimmy Radway, which topped the local singles chart, and led to "Pride & Ambition" also becoming a big local hit. After working with

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 ...

for several years, he recorded another of his best-known songs, "Ballistic Affair" at Channel One, in 1976, and began producing himself in 1977. Smart has continued recording and remains popular, with over 35 albums to his name. He is regarded as one of Jamaica's most outrageous and colourful characters. Smart appeared in the film '' Rockers'' along with contemporaries such as

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

and Jacob Miller.

Albums

* ''Ballistic Affair'' (1977) Conflict/Channel One (aka The Very Best of Leroy Smart) * ''Dread Hot In Africa'' (1977) Burning Sounds * ''Impressions of Leroy Smart'' (1977) Burning Sounds * ''Superstar'' (1977) Third World/Jackpot * ''In London Clinker'' (1978) Attack * ''Jah Loves Everyone'' (1978) Burning Sounds * ''Propaganda'' (1978) Burning Rockers/Burning Sounds * ''Let Everyman Survive'' (1979) GG's * ''Showcase Rub A Dub'' (1979) GG's * ''Disco Showcase'' (1979) Gussie * ''Harder Than The Rest'' (197?) Tad's * ''Reggae Showcase Vol 1'' (197?) Imperial * ''Too Much Grudgefulness'' (1981) Jah Life * ''She Just a Draw Card'' (1982) Worldwide Success * ''On Top'' (1983) Live & Learn * ''She Love It In The Morning'' (1983) GG's * ''Style and Fashion'' (1983) Nura * ''Exclusive'' (1984) Dynamite * ''Live Up Roots Children'' (1984) Sunset * ''Rockers Award Winners'' (1985)

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fo ...

(with

Sugar Minott Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...

) * ''Back To Back'' (1985) Volcano (with

Junior Reid Delroy "Junior" Reid (born 6 June 1963) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for his featuring on the songs " One Blood", " It's Okay (One Blood)" and " This Is Why I'm Hot", as well as being the lead vocalist for Black Uhuru ...

) * ''Bank Account'' (1985) Powerhouse * ''Showcase'' (1985) Fatman * ''We Rule Everytime'' (1985) Jammy's * ''Face To Face Clash'' (1985) Sunset (with Junior Reid) * ''Prophecy a Go Hold Dem'' (1986) Jah Life/WWS * ''Music in the Dancehall'' (198?), Zion Music Workshop * ''Musical Don'' (1988) Skengdon * ''Don of Class'' (1988) WWS * ''Talk About Friends'' (1993) * ''Let Everyman Survive'' (1993), Jamaican Gold * ''Everytime!'' (1994), RAS * ''Leroy Smart Meets Sister Levi'' (2003), Budgie Entertainments * ''Mr. Smart in Dub'' (2005), Jamaican Recordings * ''Private Message'' (2005), Grapevine * ''Jah Loves Everyone + Impressions'' - CD Album double disc 2019

Burning Sounds Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combustion ...

* ''Propaganda album'' - 180 gram Vinyl reissue

* ''Impressions'' - 180 gram Vinyl reissue 2020

References

External links

Discography
at Roots Archives. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smart, Leroy Jamaican record producers 1952 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians