Chuck Turner

Born on 6 April 1963 in Jamaica, West Indies, Charles Turner launched his career in music as a drummer who began handling session duties at age 11. By 1974 he was working sessions at Channel One, Dynamics and Tuff Gong. Toward the end of the 1970s he became a member of Black Culture and later joined the Zenith Band, which held regular engagements on the island’s hotel circuit. The Zenith Band made scant headway in recordings yet earned a slot at the 1984 Reggae Sunsplash festival. Even while recognizing the prestige of appearing alongside Jamaica’s leading performers, Turner returned to hotel work, this time with the Tony DaCosta Affair at Montego Bay’s Seawind Hotel. DaCosta acted as his primary mentor, preparing him to deliver reggae and soul sets for tourists. Vocal work on those stages brought invitations to perform with King Jammy’s sound system and other prominent sounds. The link with Jammy opened studio doors, producing the 1987 hit ‘I Need You’. He remained visible on Jamaican charts and scored a number-one single in the late 1980s with the sublime ‘Tears’.

Throughout the 1990s Turner toured North America and Europe with Lieutenant Stitchie, Charlie Chaplin, Josey Wales, Leroy Smart, Sugar Minott, Admiral Bailey, Frankie Paul, Supercat and Shabba Ranks. In addition to his packed touring calendar he developed his songwriting craft and offered on-island support to visiting artists such as Chaka Khan, Ronnie Dyson and Johnny Gill. Although he has not kept a steady presence on reggae charts, he has continued to issue occasional hits, among them the Lloyd Barnes-produced ‘Over You’ in 2000.