Biography
Born December 9, 1942, in Port Antonio, Jamaica, Leonard Dillon rose to prominence as a reggae legend. His 1963 arrival in Kingston led to an introduction from Peter Tosh to storied producer Coxsone Dodd, who recorded four Dillon compositions—including the hit “Ice Water”—with harmonies supplied by Tosh and the remaining Wailers; these tracks appeared in 1965 under the Jack Sparrow name. Dillon soon founded the Ethiopians with Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris, an ensemble that became one of the defining rock steady outfits and remained a dominant presence in Jamaican music until Taylor’s death in 1975. The loss prompted Dillon to withdraw to Port Antonio for two years, after which he reassembled the Ethiopians for a session with producer Niney the Observer that later surfaced as Slave Call. Dillon also issued material under his own name, resulting in the 1999 retrospective On the Road Again.
Albums