Michael George Campbell (4 June 1954 – 15 March 2008), better known as Mikey Dread, was a Jamaican singer, producer, and broadcaster. He was one of the most influential performers and innovators in

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 ...

music.

Biography

Born in

Port Antonio Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991. It is the island's third largest port, famous as a shipping point for b ...

,Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 99–101 one of five children, from an early age, Campbell showed a natural aptitude for engineering and

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

.Clayson, Alan (2008)
Mikey Dread
, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 25 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2016 As a teenager he performed with the Safari and Sound of Music

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 ...

, and worked on his high school's radio station.Katz, David (2015)
How Mikey Dread revolutionised Jamaican music several times over
, '' Fact'', 15 September 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2016 He studied electrical engineering at the College of Arts, Science and Technology, and in 1976, started out as an engineer with the

Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation The Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) was a public broadcasting company in Jamaica founded in 1959 by premier Norman Manley with the aim of emulating the success of other national broadcasting companies such as the BBC and CBC.Thomas, Pradip ...

(JBC). Campbell wasn't impressed that the JBC's playlists mainly consisted of bland, foreign pop music at a time when some of the most potent

was being recorded in Jamaica. He convinced his JBC bosses to give him his own radio program called ''Dread at the Controls'', where he played almost exclusively reggae. Before long, Campbell (now using the DJ name Mikey Dread) had the most popular program on the JBC. Well known for its fun and adventurous sonic style, ''Dread at the Controls'' became a hit all over Jamaica. Examples of Mikey Dread's distinctive radio chatter can be heard on the US release of the RAS label LP ''African Anthem Dubwise''. He also began working as a recording artist,

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

producing his signature tune "Dread at the Controls", also recording for

Sonia Pottinger Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD ( Durrant; 21 June 1931 – 3 November 2010)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316 Joe Gibbs Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and ...

, and performing with the Socialist Roots sound system. Inevitably, JBC's conservative management and Campbell clashed, and he quit in protest in 1978, becoming an engineer at the

Treasure Isle Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner. He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Troja ...

studio, where he began an association with producer Carlton Patterson. They co-produced Dread's own work (e.g. "Barber Saloon") and that of others. By the late 1970s he had started his own DATC label, working with artists such as

Edi Fitzroy Fitzroy Edwards (17 November 1955 – 4 March 2017), better known by his stage name Edi Fitzroy, was a Jamaican reggae singer, active from 1975 but best known for his work during the dancehall era. Early life Edwards was born on 17 November 1955 ...

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 ...

, and

Earl Sixteen Earl Sixteen (b. Earl John Daley, 9 May 1958, Kingston, Jamaica)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 152 is a reggae singer whose career began in the mid-1970s. Biography Daley grew up in Waltham ...

, as well as producing his own work. The label released Dread's albums ''Evolutionary Rockers'' (released in the UK as ''Dread at the Controls''), and ''World War III''. Campbell's music attracted the attention of British punk rockers

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

, who invited him over to England to tour with them in 1980, going on to produce some of their music. Although initially suspicious of the strangers, Campbell soon became friends with the band, producing their " Bankrobber" single and performing on several songs on their 1980 album ''

Sandinista! ''Sandinista!'' is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, g ...

''. Campbell also toured with The Clash across

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, Europe, and the US, gaining many new fans along the way. He studied at the

National Broadcasting School The National Broadcasting School began operating in 1980 as an independent organization supported by the UK's Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) to provide professional training in radio presentation, production and journalism for Independe ...

in London in 1980 and in 1984 studied advanced recording technology at the

North London Polytechnic The University of North London (UNL) was a university in London, England, formed from the Polytechnic of North London (PNL) in 1992 when that institution was granted university status. PNL, in turn, had been formed by the amalgamation of the No ...

. During the early 1980s he provided vocals with the reggae collective

Singers And Players Singers & Players were a reggae collective made up of vocalists and musicians associated with Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records. They recorded five albums between 1981 and 1988. Including artists such as Bim Sherman, Prince Far I and Mikey D ...

Adrian Sherwood Adrian Maxwell Sherwood (born 20 January 1958, London, England) is an English record producer specialising in the genre of dub music. He has created a distinctive production style based on the application of dub effects and dub mixing techniques ...

's On-U Sound record label. Dread produced ten dub tracks for

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

and toured Europe and Scandinavia as their support artist. Mikey Dread 2003

Some of his works in the United Kingdom include hosting series such as ''Rockers Roadshow'' and narrating the six-part

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

reggae documentary series ''Deep Roots Music''. He later recorded "The Source (Of Your Divorce)" for Warner Brothers Records US, which obtained regularly rotated video airplay. In 1991, Dread recorded ''Profile'' and ''African Anthem Revisited''. He also toured in Europe and the US with

Freddie McGregor Freddie McGregor (born 27 June 1956, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Jamaican singer, musician and record producer. His music career began when he was seven years old. Biography In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to form The C ...

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: ...

, We The People Band, and the Roots Radics Band. In 1992, he collaborated with former

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

guitarist

Izzy Stradlin Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), best known as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist. He was a co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of their fame in 1991, and with whom he ...

on a duet entitled "Can't Hear 'Em". He was nominated for a NAIRD award, an award from the

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

, for his work on his 1990 compilation album ''Mikey Dread's Best Sellers''. In 1993, Mikey Dread was involved in several projects, including his tour supporting the album ''Obsession'' and working in TV with the Caribbean Satellite Network (CSN) where he was Program Director and on Air personality as well as Producer of various shows. In 1994 he presented The Culture Award of Honor in the Martin's International Reggae Music Awards in Chicago. In 1995, he worked as a Radio DJ for WAVS 1170 AM and WAXY-AM 790 in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. In 1996 he participated in the Essential Music Festival as a performer in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, UK. Mikey furthered his knowledge of TV/Video Production at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, where he graduated in 1996 with Honors and at

Lynn University Lynn University is a private university in Boca Raton, Florida. Founded in 1962, the university awards associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. It is named for the Lynn family (Christine E. and Eugene M. Lynn). It has a total ...

in Boca Raton / Florida where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Communications, with Magna Cum Laude honours. He performed live with The Clash, UB40,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

Macka B Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B, (born 1966) is a British-born Jamaican reggae artist, performer and activist with a career spanning thirty years and one of Britain's most influential dancehall DJs. As a practicing Rastaman, Mac ...

, and many other bands and artists. He also produced artists such as

Junior Murvin Junior Murvin (born Murvin Junior Smith, circa 1946 – 2 December 2013) was a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single " Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976. Early life He was born in Saint J ...

, Wally Bucker, Sunshine, Jah Grundy and

Rod Taylor Rodney Sturt Taylor (11 January 1930 – 7 January 2015) was an Australian actor. He appeared in more than 50 feature films, including ''The Time Machine'' (1960), ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961), '' The Birds'' (1963), and ''In ...

. He also worked closely with producer Trevor Elliot to launch musical career of singer

. Mikey Dread was the featured artist on " Lips Like Sugar" with

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

for the soundtrack of the 2004 film, '' 50 First Dates''. Mikey Dread

After many years working as a producer and singer, Campbell withdrew from the business and moved to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

where he furthered his college education with courses in electronics and business, and ran the Caribbean Satellite Network TV station in Miami. Campbell shrewdly waited until all of his existing contracts expired and then regained control over his entire catalogue; He began re-releasing much of it on his own Dread at the Controls record label. He performed at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

in 2002 and at Glastonbury Festival in 2004, and toured the UK in 2006. Dread, together with The Blizzard of 78, featured on ''The Sandinista! Project'', a tribute to the 1980 Clash album ''Sandinista!'', with the song "Silicone on Sapphire". The tribute album, recorded in 2004, was released on 15 May 2007 by the 00:02:59 Records (a label named after a lyric from the Sandinista! song "Hitsville UK"). In October 2007, it was announced that Campbell was being treated for a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

. He died on 15 March 2008, surrounded by his family, at the home of his sister in Stamford, Connecticut. He left seven children, three daughters and four sons, the youngest of whom was 4 months old when he died and who he had with his wife Monica.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Singles

* "Love the Dread" (1978), DATC * "Step By Step" (1978), 40 Leg * "Barber Saloon" (1978), Warrior * "Roots Man Revival" (1979), High Note * "African Rap" (1979), Wild Flower * "Rasta Born Baby" (1979), Roots International * "African Map" (1979), DATC * "Break Down the Walls" (1980) (DREAD 1) * "Rockers Delight" (1980), DATC * "Jumping Master" (1980), DATC * "Reggae Gone International" (1980), DATC * "Warrior Stylee" (1981), DATC * "Positive Reality" (1982), DAT * "Rocky Road" (1982), DATC/Do It * "Roots & Culture" / "Jungle Dread" (1982), DATC (DATCD 008) * "Bad Man Posseé" (1982), DATC - with

* "Pound A Weed" (1982), DATC - with

Roots Radics The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkn ...

* "Warning" (1982), DATC * "Heavy Weight Style" (1982), Do It * "Sunday School" (1983), DATC * "Reggae Hit Shot" (1984), DEP International * "Knock Knock" (1985), DEP International * "Rude Little Dread" (1986), DATC * "The Source (Of Your Divorce)" (1989), Warner Bros US * "Choose Me" (1989), DATC * "King of Kings" (2001), Higher Ground

Appears on

* ''Sandinista!'' (1980; album by

) * ''The Trojan Story Vol. 2'' (1982; compilation album by various artists; TALL 200) *

Singers and Players Singers & Players were a reggae collective made up of vocalists and musicians associated with Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records. They recorded five albums between 1981 and 1988. Including artists such as Bim Sherman, Prince Far I and Mikey D ...

– '' Staggering Heights'' (1983; On-U Sound), "School Days" *

– '' Leaps and Bounds'' (1984; Cherry Red), "Autobiography (Dread Operator)" and "Vegetable Matter" * ''Funky Reggae Crew – Strictly Hip-Hop Reggae Fusion'' (1989; compilation album by various artists; 926 011-1) * ''The Roots of Reggae Vol. 1'' (1991; compilation album by various artists; MCCD 014) * ''Larks From the Ark'' (1995; compilation album by

; NTMCD 511) * ''History of Trojan Records 1972–1995 Volume 2'' (1996; compilation album by various artists) * ''Arkology'' (1997; compilation album by Lee "Scratch" Perry; CRNCD 6) * ''Rockers Galore'' (1999; compilation album by

; ESK 47144) * ''Classic Reggae: The Producers'' (2000; compilation album by various artists; MCCD 444) * ''Dub Reggae Essentials'' (2000; compilation album by various artists) * ''Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix'' (2002; compilation album by

Madlib Otis Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM (as Madvillain), J Dilla (as Jaylib), ...

; ANTCD102) * ''Auralux Reggae Showcase'' (2004; compilation album by various artists; LUXXCD007) * ''50 First Dates'' (2004; compilation album by various artists) * ''Radio Clash'' (2004; compilation album by various artists) * ''Best 1991–2004'' (2004; compilation album by

) * ''Echodelic Sounds of Future Pigeon'' (2006; album by Future Pigeon) * '' Singles Box'' (2006; compilation album by The Clash;

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

) * ''Down in a Tenement Yard: Sufferation and Love in the Ghetto 1973–1980'' (2007; compilation album by various artists; TJDDD352) * ''Family Front'' (2008; Album by Habakuk; 5935240) * ''Royale Rockers: Reggae Sessions'' (2008; album by Casino Royale) * ''Iration – Generation Time'' (Ft. Mikey Dread)

References

External links

*
Official Label website

Official Podcast with Insomnia Radio website

Mikey Dread Online Memorial
;Articles
Complicated Dread: the Mikey Dread interview
Complicated Fun, 21 June 2006

trakMARX.com – Punk Rock... & Roll, trakMARX 21 – October 2005 – The No Time To Be 21 Issue {{DEFAULTSORT:Dread, Mikey 1954 births 2008 deaths Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Jamaican radio presenters Jamaican reggae musicians ROIR artists People from Port Antonio Trojan Records artists Lynn University alumni Heartbeat Records artists