Fred Locks Birth name Stafford Elliott Born 1955 Origin Kingston, Jamaica Genres Roots reggae Occupations Singer-songwriter Years active mid-1960s–present Labels Jahmikmusic, Grounation, Vulcan, Revelations, Form, Tribesman, Regal, Starlight, Tan Yah, Xterminator, VP Associated acts The Flames, The Lyrics, Creation Steppers Fred Locks (b. Stafford Elliott, 1955, Kingston, Jamaica)[1] is a roots reggae singer best known for his mid-1970s single Black Star Liners and the album of the same name. Biography Elliott grew up in a strict Catholic home in the Franklin Town area of Kingston, along with eleven brothers and sisters, moving to Eastern Kingston when he was ten. His father and older brother played the guitar; with his older brother accompanying Elliotts early singing efforts. Like many of the Jamaican solo singers of the 1970s, Elliott began his career in the 1960s as part of a vocal harmony group, in his case a group he formed in secondary school, The Flames,[2] and in 1966 The Lyrics, who recorded for Coxsone Dodd in the late 1960s, with tracks such as A Get It, Girls Like Dirt, and Hear What The Old Man Say.[3][4] They later moved on to Vincent Chins Randys setup, recording Give Thanks, East to the Right, and a cover of Simon & Garfunkels Bridge Over Troubled Water, also working with Lee Scratch Perry,[2] and released the self-financed Sing A Long in 1971 on their own Lyric label.[1] Disillusioned by the financial side of the Jamaican music industry, Elliott immersed himself in the Rastafarian faith, living on the beach at Harbour View. Elliott allowed his locks to grow to a great length, giving rise to his nickname of Fred Locks.[3] During his time living on the beach, he continued to write songs, one of which, Black Star Liners, written with Owen Goode and referring to Marcus Garveys shipping line (Black Star Line) intended to transport black Americans to Africa as part of the Back-to-Africa movement, came to the attention of producer and Twelve Tribes member Hugh Boothe.[4] Boothe persuaded Locks to record the song, and it was released in 1975 on the Jahmikmusic label in Jamaica, and on Grounation in the United Kingdom, propelling Locks to cult status.[3] This was followed up by The Last Days, which had a lesser impact.[2] Grounation offshoot Vulcan issued the debut album Black Star Liner/True Rastaman in 1976, an album that has remained popular with roots reggae audiences ever since, with the title track regarded as a roots anthem.[1] In the late 1970s, Elliott was also a member of the vocal trio Creation Steppers, along with Eric Griffiths and Willy Stepper, releasing records in Jamaica on their own Star of The East label, and having a hit in Jamaica with Stormy Night.[3] In 1980, the trio travelled to the UK for a small tour, and began an association with London-based sound system operator and producer Lloyd Coxsone, who released a number of singles by the group, and also some Fred Locks solo records.[3] These were collected on the album Love and only Love in 1982. In 1982, Locks married an American woman and moved to the United States, recording only sporadically until the mid-1990s, when he recorded an album, Culturally, for Phillip Smart. followed by albums on Philip Fatis Burrells Xterminator label and on VP. Album discography Black Star Liners/True Rastaman (1976) Vulcan Nebuchadnezzar, King Of Babylon (1980) Revelations (also issued as Love and Harmony (1980) on Form, with different track order) (Fred Locks & The Steppers) Love and Only Love (1982) Tribesman/Regal (Fred Locks & The Creation Steppers) Culturally (1995) Starlight/Tan Yah Never Give Up (1998) Xterminator Missing Link (2000) VP Glorify The Lord (2008) Cousins Music Is My Calling (2012) Irie Sounds International Reggae Legends (4 CD Box Set Containing 4 Albums : Black Star Liner,Black Star Liner In Dub,Love And Only Love,The Missing Link 2012) References Barrow, Steve; Dalton, Peter (1997). Reggae: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 1-85828-247-0. Peter I (May 2004). Coming In The Harbour: Interview With Fred Locks. reggae-vibes. Retrieved 2 March 2008. Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9. Campbell, Howard (2012) Black Star Liner - Fred Locks recalls tribute to Garvey, Jamaica Observer, 17 August 2012, retrieved 1 September 2012
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 01:14:04 +0000
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