Died On This Date (January 19, 2012) Winston Riley / Jamaican Musician & Producer
themusicsover Winston Riley
1946 – January 19, 2012
Winston Riley was an influential and pioneering reggae musician, singer, and producer. Born in Kingston, Riley was just 16 when he formed his first group, the Techniques. The vocal outfit went on to work with such producers as Byron Lee and Duke Reid before splitting up in 1968. It was then that Riley formed his own record label and began producing other artists. Over the next several years, he worked with the likes of the Escorts, Alton Ellis, and Johnny Osbourne. One of his early productions, 1971’s “Double Barrel” as recorded by Dave and Ansel Collins, is considered one of Jamaica’s first international hits for reaching #1 on both the British and Dutch charts. In fact, Riley is widely considered one of the first people to introduce reggae to England. He also produced one of reggae’s most influential albums, the 1979 General Echo release, The Slackest. The list of artists who can give Riley some credit for their success includes Gregory Isaacs, Buju Banton, Sister Nancy, Cutty Ranks, and Frankie Paul. In August of 2011, Riley was stabbed, and then a month later, he was shot in the head. As of the early months following the incidents, police had not apprehended any suspects nor determined motive. On January 19, 2012, Winston Riley died of complications from the shooting. He was 65.
What You Should Own
Gregory Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae singer who the New York Times once called, “the most exquisite voice in reggae.” After competing in a slew of talent contests while in his teens, Isaacs began making his first recordings during the late ’60s. In 1973, he released “My Only Lover” which became a huge hit and has been cited as the birth of the lovers rock sub-genre of reggae. He went on to work the biggest reggae producers and musicians, releasing several more hit records. By the end of the decade, Isaacs was one of reggae’s most important figures. During the ’80s, he released Night Nurse – the album and single of the same name are essential to any legitimate reggae collection. Sadly however, Isaacs developed a severe drug addiction that took a toll on his voice and lead to a short term in jail. Upon his release, he continued to make many more albums, leading to 2008’s Brand New Me, which some critics were calling a return to form. Over the course of his 40-year career, he released upwards of 500 albums. On October 25, 2010, Gregory Isaacs died of lung cancer. He was 59.