Courtney Melody

Courtney Melody launched his vocal career as a high-school student in St. Andrew, Jamaica. Early practice sessions took place at Black Spider Records, after which he joined forces with Stereo One Sound System alongside Ricky Stereo, Boy Blue, and Daddy Freddy; that association yielded his debut single, “Screechy Across the Border.” The track received worldwide play from reggae selectors and was later covered stateside by Little Kirk. Time spent at Technique Records brought local successes with “How Long Will Your Love Last,” “Key to Your Heart,” and “Exploiter.” His sole international chart entry, the 1986 release “Bad Boy,” inaugurated a sequence of dancehall hits that included “Turn Them Back” and cemented his standing as a pivotal force whose approach influenced the generation that followed. Like countless Jamaican performers, he contributed material to nearly every producer and label on the island, cutting “Ninja Mi Ninja” and “Tell Dem” for King Tubby, “Modern Girl” for Robert French, “Put It Down” for Harry J, “Downpressor” for Prince Jazzbo, “Rootsman” for Redman, and both “Can't Get We Out” and “Wake Up Little Susie” for King Jammy. The 1989 album Modern Girl continues to be cited as one of the finest dancehall collections ever made in Jamaica. A fearless and combative personality, Melody saw his momentum halted by injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash; during his extended recovery, audiences shifted allegiance to newer figures, leaving only the lone 1990s single “In the Street” to mark his presence until the Japanese imprint Mighty Crown reissued “Ninja Mi Ninja” in 1999 and restored momentum to his career.