Biography
Born Wayne Jones in Spanish Town, Jamaica, in 1966, Major Worries met his death in Kingston during August 1987. He launched his professional path in 1985 by performing as a DJ for the King Jammy sound system, where his talent for mimicry stood out and shaped the style of his vocal deliveries. His first recording, the King Jammy-produced “Topa,” delivered a sharp yet sympathetic portrait of an alcoholic chasing the next drink and quickly became a dancehall favorite. The next single, “Babylon Boops,” arrived as a discomix that answered a wave of Jamaican tracks addressing the “sugar daddy” trend. By 1987 Major Worries stood alongside Admiral Bailey as the leading DJ on the King Jammy sound; together with Chaka Demus the pair cut the boisterous “Go Go” as well as “Nuh Touch It,” “Done Now Nuh,” and “Don Move,” all of which later appeared on the posthumous album Babylon Boops. He also worked independently for several prominent Jamaican producers, issuing early sides with King Jammy and with Hyman Wright on “Product Of Jamaica.” Additional sessions took place with Hugh James and Jack Scorpio, yet those tracks remained unreleased because mounting violence in Jamaica ended his career. Major Worries was fatally shot after stepping into an argument between a friend and a Kingston policeman; the incident sparked widespread public anger and claims of a cover-up. Following his death a series of recordings surfaced, among them “Mek Some Money,” “Twist And Rock,” “Run Down Money,” “Ku Pon Yu,” “Hunters Crossing,” “Doo Doo,” “Me Nah Response,” and the duet “Freezone” with Little Tenna. In 1994 Beenie Man paid tribute to Major Worries by releasing “No Mama No Cry,” a track that recounted the shooting and placed it alongside the deaths of Tenor Saw, Free I, and General Echo.
Albums
