As part of the STAR of the month feature with Junior Reid and his sons, here is part 1 of Junior 'One *lo**' Reid's bio. Look out for part 2 in Monday's STAR.
To date, Jamaican-born singer Junior Reid, a devout Rastafarian regarded by many as 'a messenger from Jah', is best known for hit singles, 'Foreign Mind', 'One *lo**', 'Boom Shak-a-Lak' and 'Listen to the Voices'. He also served as the lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning Reggae group, Black Uhuru.
Born on June 6, Delroy 'Junior' Reid grew up in the Waterhouse community of St Andrew, Reid began his career at an early age, gaining his initial inspiration from a tough upbringing.
He recorded his first single, Know Myself, at age 14 for the late singer Hugh Mundell, released in the UK on the Greensleeves label. He then went on to form his own band, 'The Voice of Progress' and, after a local hit with Minibus Driver, the group's success was established with the album of the same name.
At the age of 18, Reid was asked to join Black Uhuru as lead singer. The group completed its transformation to international status while he was a member, nominated twice for a Grammy Award in the Reggae category. After many changes in the music business and an agreed separation among the members of Black Uhuru, Reid returned to the solo arena and started his own production company, J.R. Productions.
first solo album
Now a solo artiste again, Reid recorded a number of songs for J.R. Productions and Sugar Minott's Youthman Promotion label, enjoying considerable popularity with tracks such as Human Nature, A-1 Lover, Uplifting and Proud Statement. In 1988, he released his first solo album, One *lo**. The One *lo** single was remixed by Paul 'Trouble' Anderson and released worldwide on Big Life/Mercury Records. That track and Long Road received nominations for the prestigious Caribbean Music Awards and the Jamaica Music Industry Awards. He won awards for Best Album, Best Single, Best Song and Most Conscious Lyrics at the Jamaica Music Industry Awards.
The follow-up to One *lo** was the album, Visa, which was distributed by the Greensleeves and Ras labels in addition to his J.R. Productions label.
world stage
During his music career, Reid has performed around the globe from Bermuda to Japan. He has proven to be a durable and popular entertainer on the world stage. In 1993, after a winning performance in Jamaica at the Montego Bay Superfest, Reid toured Europe alongside Sugar Minott, the 809 Band and Dub poet Mutabaruka.
Reid was also featured on the biggest one-night show in Jamaica, Sting, from 1996 to '98. Following exceptional performances at Sting and other shows, he was offered a starring role in the Jamaican film Klash, produced by Billy Parker.
In 1997 Reid produced the album True World Order. He performed on the True World Order Tour in the United States and United Kingdom. He also teamed up with Busta Rhymes and Bounty Killer to record the hit single Change Like the Weather. He recorded the single Dreadful Day with rappers Poor Righteous Teachers and, joined by the artiste Cannibus, recorded the song Frounsi Sound Bwoy for the Universal label.