Circa 1962 – May 28, 2004
Barry Brown was a reggae singer, initially coming to prominence in the 1970s with his work with Bunny Lee, and remained popular throughout his career.
Although his first release, “Girl You’re Always On My Mind”, had little impact, his vocal style soon found popularity, with his first hit in 1979 “Step It Up Youthman”, which led to an album of the same name on Third World records.
Brown was one of the most successful artists of the early dancehall era. He worked with some of Jamaica’s best producers of the time, including Linval Thompson, Winston ‘Niney The Observer’ Holness, Sugar Minott and Coxsone Dodd, as well as releasing self-produced material.
After releasing eleven albums between 1979 and 1984, Brown’s releases became more sporadic, although his music continued to feature prominently on sound systems such as Jah Shaka.
In the 1990s, Brown’s health deteriorated, suffering with asthma and substance abuse problems. He died in May 2004 in Sone Waves Recording Studio in Kingston, after falling and hitting his head.
Hits include:
- “Far East”
- “Step it Up Youthman”
- “Coo Pon You Corner”
- “Superstar”