Danny Red

Born Daniel Clarke around 1962 in London, England, the artist spent his early childhood in the British capital before moving to Jamaica as a teenager. There he absorbed reggae, blues, R&B, gospel, country and jazz. After coming back to the UK in 1980, his cousins introduced him to the Jah Marcus sound system. He began working as a DJ, first with the City Dread outfit and later with the Fine Style Crew. European tours alongside General Kelly under the name Danny Dread expanded his profile as a cultural selector. In that guise he cut his first single, the 1986 moderate hit “Duppy Conqueror,” which was followed by “Skateboard.” A subsequent trip to Jamaica produced a Music Mountain session with the Bloodfire Posse that yielded the rhythms for “Blackness Awareness” and “Who Say Jah Jah.” To distinguish himself from two other Jamaican DJs already using the Dread moniker, he adopted the surname Red. The change occurred at the same moment he recorded his debut vocal track, “Jah Jah Me.” By 1991 he had become a recognized roots artist, scoring hits with “Armageddon,” “Original Formula,” “Don Gorgon” and “Dance Get Overload.” His 1993 fusion of roots and dancehall brought further attention through “Sons Of Jah” on Surzima Selassie and “Jah Is Here” on Abba Jahnoi and Dredbeat. Additional Dredbeat recordings included the Big Youth tribute “Warn Them” and the showcase album Rebirth, shared with Ras Tyah, Ras Natural and Lidj Incorporated members Lidj Ishu and Lidj Xylon. In 1994 he issued the vocal-and-DJ showcase “Riddimwize” and teamed with Gospel Fish on “Teaser.” Columbia Records signed him and released “Wise Up,” which featured Top Cat and carried remixes by Mafia And Fluxy and the Mad Professor; the single achieved modest success. He returned in 1995 with “Rolling Stone,” produced by Sly And Robbie and featuring Starkey Banton. The track, its promotional video and an appearance on the Radio One Roadshow created a crossover hit, yet also ended his Columbia tenure. Red subsequently re-entered the roots market with a robust compilation and collaborated with Donovan Germain, Mikey Bennett and Steely And Clevie on “Keep On Moving,” “Jah Is Here” and “I Don’t Care.”