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Gladdy's All-Stars
Gladstone Anderson (18 June 1934 – 3 December 2015), also known by his nickname "Gladdy", was a Jamaican pianist, keyboard player, and singer, who played a major part in the island's musical history, playing a key role in defining the ska sound and the rocksteady beat, and playing on hundreds of recordings as a session musician, a solo artist, and as leader of Gladdy's All Stars, featuring bassist Jackie Jackson, drummer Winston Grennan, guitarist Hux Brown, and keyboardist Winston Wright. As Harry J All Stars the band had a massive hit in Jamaica and United Kingdom with the instrumental song "The Liquidator" 1969 (and 1980!). Biography Gladstone Anderson was born in 1934 in Jones Town, and was taught piano at home by his uncle, the keyboardist and bandleader Aubrey Adams.Katz, p.46Campbell, Howard (2012)Gladstone Anderson: Key player in rocksteady’s genesis", ''Jamaica Observer'', 1 June 2012, retrieved 2012-06-01 He became a prominent studio pianist in the late 1950s, when ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 International Airport to the rest of the island. In the Americas, Kingston is the largest predominantly English-speaking city in the Caribbean. The local government bodies of the parishes of Kingston and Saint Andrew were amalgamated by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation Act of 1923, to form the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Greater Kingston, or the "Corporate Area" refers to those areas under the KSAC; however, it does not solely refer to Kingston Parish, which only consists of the old downtown and Port Royal. Kingston Parish had a population of 89,057, and St. Andrew Parish had a population of 573,369 in 2011 Kingston is only bordered by Saint Andrew to the east, west and north. The geographical border for the parish of K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aubrey Adams
Aubrey Wellington Adams (17 June 1920 – 6 August 1990) was a Jamaican pianist and keyboard player who was one of the top bandleaders in Jamaica in the 1950s, and led the Dewdroppers as well as playing with Clue J & His Blues Blasters. Biography Adams was active in the pre-ska era of Jamaican music when he led a band that had a residency at the Courtleigh Manor Hotel, that included tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook among others.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 4-5 He also played in Sonny Bradshaw's jazz band.Gambrill, Tony (2007)Sonny Bradshaw is 81 years young, ''Jamaica Observer'', 27 May 2007, retrieved 13 September 2009 He continued to perform in the ska era of the early 1960s, when he played piano for Clue J and His Blues Blasters, and also recorded with Roland Alphonso, Clancy Eccles, Pat Kelly, and the Soul Defenders. His keyboard playing was influential on othe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 family moved to Kingston in 1958, where he sang in talent contests, including those run by Vere Johns. He was spotted by producer S.L. Smith, for whom he recorded his debut single, "Guilty Convict" b/w "Just Because", released on Smith's Hi=Lite label nd licensed to Blue Beat Records in 1962. After recording a few further singles, he formed the Ambassadors in 1965 with Paragons singer Junior Menz and guitarist Eric Frater, becoming the Virtues with the addition of Dobby Dobson.Greene, Jo-AnnRupie Edwards Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 26 April 2016 They recorded several singles for Harry J, as well as Edwards' first self-production, "Burning Love", credited to Rupie Edwards and the Virtues. The Virtues broke up in 1968, and Edwards started ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 in the early 1970s, and later working with Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby. Early life Bunny Lee was born on 23 August 1941 and grew up in the Greenwich Farm area of Kingston, where his father was a shoemaker.Burrell, Ian (2014)Jamaican music producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee: Rewinding a career that never missed a beat, ''The Independent'', 11 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014 Career Lee began his career working as a record plugger for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label in 1962,Larkin, Colin:"The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, later performing the same duties for Leslie Kong.Barrow, Steve and Dalton, Peter:"Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, He then moved on to work with Ken Lack, initially in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p.7Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 6 The band's name derived from the record shop that Lee had run in the late 1960s, Agro Sounds. Alumni of the band included many musicians who later went on to make names for themselves in reggae music. Legends such as Jackie Mittoo, Sly and Robbie, Tommy McCook, and Aston Barrett were all involved with the band at one point or another. Other regular members included Carlton "Santa" Davis, Earl "Chinna" Smith, George "Fully" Fullwood, Ansel Collins, Bernard "Touter" Harvey, Tony Chin, Bobby Ellis, and Vin Gordon. The band recorded L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Mudie
Harry A. Mudie (born 1940 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a Jamaican record producer.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 315 Biography Harry Mudie attended the St Jago High School.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 204-5 In the mid fifties, he launched his own sound system "Mudies Hi-Fi", before going to the UK to study electronics and photography. Back in Jamaica in the late 1950s, Mudie began producing, mainly Jamaican R&B records;Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae'', Rough Guides, , p.100 His first production was "Babylon Gone" (1962) by rasta drummer Count Ossie and saxophonist Wilton Gaynair, released in the UK in 1962 on Blue Beat. He moved away from production in the 1960s, operating his Scaramouch Garden Amusement Center in Spanishtown, opened in 1962. He returned to production in the late 1960s, launching his Moodisc label and working with artists such as De ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alton Ellis
Alton Nehemiah Ellis (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008)Godfather of rocksteady dies at 70 , Press Association, 11 October 2008 was a Jamaican singer-songwriter. One of the innovators of rocksteady, he was given the informal title "Godfather of Rocksteady".Huey, Steve, "Alton Ellis Biography" Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame. Early life Bor ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roy Shirley
Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley (18 July 1944 – July 2008), better known simply as Roy Shirley, and also known as King Roy Shirley and The High Priest, was a Jamaican singer whose career spanned the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras, and whose "Hold Them" is regarded by some as the first ever rocksteady song. He was also one of the original members of Slim Smith's band, The Uniques. Biography Shirley was born on North Street in Kingston, Jamaica, on 18 July 1944,Katz, David (2008), "Obituary: Roy Shirley", ''The Guardian'', 28 August 2008. and grew up in Trench Town, where he attended the Boys Town school, and after singing in his local church choir began his career performing in talent contests.Katz, David (2003), ''Solid Foundation – an Oral History of Reggae'', Bloomsbury, Roy Shirley, The Man Who Chang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hopeton Lewis
Hopeton Lewis (3 October 1947 – 4 September 2014) was a Jamaican born singer of rocksteady and reggae, an arranger, and radio music presenter. Biography Lewis was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He sang in church from an early age, and started performing as a youth, forming a singing group called the Regals. By the mid-1960s, he began recording and had one of the earliest rocksteady hits with "Take It Easy" in late 1966.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide To Reggae", Rough Guides, The track was recorded with Lynn Taitt and the Jets, and is regarded as one of the first rocksteady singles. He lived the later period of his life in Brooklyn, New York, where he presented a show on Grace Deliverance Radio.Campbell, Howard (2014)Singer Hopeton Lewis is dead", '' Jamaica Observer'', 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014 Lewis died on 4 September 2014 at his home in Brooklyn, aged 66, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leslie Kong
Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was an influential Chinese-Jamaican reggae producer. Career Leslie and his two older brothers Cecil and Lloyd ran a restaurant, ice cream parlour and record shop called Beverley's in Orange Street, Kingston. In 1961, he encountered a young Jimmy Cliff outside of his shop singing a song he had written called "Dearest Beverley", in the hopes that the mention of the establishment would convince Kong to record him.Alleyne, Mike (2012) ''The Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Sterling, , p. 146 This encounter led Kong to launch his own record label, Beverley's, and to record Cliff's song, launching Cliff's career in the process. Cliff took on an A&R role for the label, and brought Bob Marley to Kong's attention. In 1962, Kong recorded Marley's first single: "One Cup of Coffee" and " Judge Not", and Jimmy Cliff's first hit, "Miss Jamaica". Kong, known in Jamaican music circles as "the Chinaman", quickly established himself as the island's le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clement "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 as a cricketer (his friends compared him to Alec Coxon, a member of the 1940s Yorkshire County Cricket Club team). Biography The Kingston-born Dodd used to play records to the customers in his parents' shop. During a spell in the American South he became familiar with the rhythm and blues music popular there at the time. In 1954, back in Jamaica, he set up the Downbeat Sound System, being the owner of an amplifier, a turntable, and some US records, which he would import from New Orleans and Miami. With the success of his sound system, and in a competitive environment, Dodd would make trips through the US looking for new tunes to attract the Jamaican public. While he did, his mother Doris Darlington would run the sound system and play t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Skatalites
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, on their first single " Simmer Down." They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since. History Before the Skatalites: 1954–1964 The founders of the Skatalites were musicians Doreen Shaffer, Tommy McCook (died 1998), Rolando Alphonso (died 1998), Lester Sterling, Lloyd Brevett (died 2012), Lloyd Knibb (died 2011), Don Drummond (died 1969), Jah Jerry Haynes (died 2007), Jackie Mittoo (died 1990), and Johnny Moore (died 2008). These musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston's recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
