Bunny Rugs

William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke earned his greatest recognition serving as the primary vocalist and guitarist while also penning songs for Third World during the middle years of the 1970s. Yet from the closing years of the 1980s onward, he pursued an independent path as a solo performer alongside his group commitments. Born and raised in East Kingston, Clarke drew his initial musical inspirations from Nat King Cole and Aretha Franklin, having first honed his vocal skills through church singing. At the age of fifteen, he responded to an invitation for an audition at the Kittymat Club, which led to his inclusion in Charlie Hackett & the Souvenirs. Concurrently, he pursued studies at the Jamaica School of Arts and Crafts, completing his time there in 1968 before relocating to New York. In the city, he became part of Hugh Hendricks & the Buccaneers, a well-liked ensemble that performed at parties throughout Brooklyn. By 1971, Clarke had established his own group known as the Wild Bunch. Two years afterward, he returned to Jamaica, stepping in for Jacob Miller to take the role of lead vocalist in Inner Circle, where he collaborated with players including founding member Ibo Cooper who would eventually form Third World. Nevertheless, Clarke headed back to the United States aiming to build a career writing songs under Atlantic Records. During the latter part of the 1970s, Third World arrived in New York and invited Clarke to assume the vocal duties previously held by Milton "Prilly" Hamilton. He supplied numerous compositions for the band's celebrated follow-up release, 96 Degrees in the Shade. Thereafter, Clarke played an essential part in shaping Third World's reputation as one of reggae's most adaptable and innovative ensembles worldwide. Beginning in the late 1980s, he and his bandmates expanded their activities to include recording, production, and songwriting for additional Jamaican artists; Clarke and Cat Coore, another member of Third World, provided vocals for releases on Philip "Fatis" Burrell's Xterminator label featuring performers such as Capleton, Beres Hammond, and Marcia Griffiths. Independently, Clarke issued several albums: Talking to You in 1995, Soul to Soul in 2003, the 2006 project What a World alongside Sean Paul, and I'm Sure also from 2006. His sixth studio effort, Time, came out in 2012, the same year he was presented with a Caribbean American Heritage Award recognizing his Outstanding Contribution to Reggae. Though he maintained an active performing schedule, Clarke disclosed his leukemia diagnosis in 2013, passing away on February 2, 2014, at sixty-five years old.