Devon Russell

Last updated

Devon Russell
Birth nameDevon Barrant Russell
Died18 June 1997
Genres Rocksteady, reggae
Occupation(s)Singer, record producer
Years activeMid-1960s1997

Devon Russell (died 18 June 1997) was a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae singer and record producer who recorded between the 1960s and the 1990s, both as a solo artist and as a member of The Tartans and Cultural Roots.

Contents

Biography

Russell's career began in the 1960s with the Tartans, a group which also included Prince Lincoln Thompson, Linbergh "Preps" Lewis, and Cedric Myton. [1] When the Tartans disbanded, Russell embarked on a solo career, and for a time joined Cultural Roots as lead singer. He also recorded with Myton as Devon & Cedric. [2] In the mid-1970s, Russell recorded 11 songs for Lee "Scratch" Perry that were never released. In the early 1980s he recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, and his debut solo album, Roots Music, was produced by Dodd and released on Sweet Music Records in 1982. [1] In 1983 he was asked to join The Congos for a European tour, and he eventually relocated to the United Kingdom. [3] He moved on to work with Roy Cousins on his second album, Prison Life. In the early 1990s he worked with Zion Train and Skaville Train. [3] In 1996 his fourth album, Darker Than Blue, was a tribute to Curtis Mayfield wholly comprising Mayfield cover versions. [1]

His productions include Big Youth's 1978 album Isaiah First Prophet of the Old. [1]

Russell died from a brain tumour on 18 June 1997 [1] a year after the release of Darker Than Blue.

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Spear</span> Musical artist

Winston Rodney OD, better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots artists to emerge from the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Abyssinians</span> Jamaican roots reggae group

The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.

Prince Lincoln Thompson, known as Sax, was a Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter with the reggae band the Royal Rasses, and a member of the Rastafari movement. He was noted for his high falsetto singing voice, very different from his spoken voice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Congos</span> Jamaican band

The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) and Cedric Myton (falsetto), later becoming a trio with the addition of Watty Burnett (baritone), and have been active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedric Myton</span> Musical artist

Cedric Constantine Myton is a Jamaican Rastafari reggae musician who was a founding member of the roots reggae band The Congos.

Donat Roy Mittoo, better known as Jackie Mittoo, was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a member of The Skatalites and musical director of the Studio One record label.

The Tartans, also known as Devon and the Tartans, were a rocksteady group who came together in 1967 in Kingston, Jamaica. The members were initially Prince Lincoln Thompson, Cedric Myton, Devon Russell and Lindberg Lewis. Myton and Russell had previously been in a group called the Bellstars. The Tartans formed as a result of the Bellstars break-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ethiopians</span> Jamaican music group

The Ethiopians were one of Jamaica's best-loved harmony groups during the late ska, rocksteady and early reggae periods. Responsible for a significant number of hits between the mid-1960s and early 1970s, the group was also one of the first Jamaican acts to perform widely in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gladiators (band)</span> Jamaican roots reggae band

The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths, Clinton Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland. Their two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up (1976) and Proverbial Reggae (1978) with songs such as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks the Time is Now". "Mix Up", "Music Makers from Jamaica", and "Soul Rebel" – a song written by The Wailers. Gladiators also cooperated with the toaster U-Roy.

Uzziah "Sticky" Thompson was a Jamaican percussionist, vocalist and deejay active from the late 1950s. He worked with some of the best known performers of Jamaican music and played on hundreds of albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedric Brooks</span> Musical artist

Cedric "Im" Brooks was a Jamaican saxophonist and flautist known for his solo recordings and as a member of The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, The Sound Dimensions, Divine Light, The Light of Saba, and The Skatalites.

Ansel Collins is a Jamaican musician, composer, singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Dave Barker as Dave and Ansel Collins.

Alphonso "Al" Campbell is a Jamaican reggae singer active since the late 1960s.

Stafford Elliot, better known as Fred Locks, is a roots reggae singer best known for his mid-1970s single "Black Star Liners" and the album of the same name.

Horatious Adolphus "Pat" Kelly was a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae singer, whose career began in the mid-1960s. He recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the vocal group the Techniques.

Larry Marshall was a Jamaican reggae singer, who recorded both as a solo artist and as part of the duos Larry & Alvin and Larry & Enid.

Roydel Anthony Johnson, better known as Congo Ashanti Roy is a Jamaican reggae singer best known as a member of The Congos but who also recorded solo and as a member of Ras Michael's Sons of Negus.

Gladstone Anderson, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston Jarrett</span> Jamaican reggae singer

Winston Jarrett is a Jamaican reggae singer who was part of Alton Ellis's group The Flames in the 1960s before recording with The Righteous Flames and as a solo artist.

The Viceroys, also known as The Voiceroys, The Interns, The Inturns, The Brothers, and The Hot Tops, are a reggae vocal group who first recorded in 1967. After releasing several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, they split up in the mid-1980s. They reformed and recorded a new album in 2006.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hamilton, Andrew "Devon Russell Biography", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation
  2. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN   978-0-87930-655-7, p.418
  3. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN   0-7535-0242-9, p.259-260