Mighty Diamonds

The Mighty Diamonds stood among the reggae acts of the 1970s roots period that reached the widest global audiences. Their approach centered on soulful, exceptionally clean harmonies paired with concise and memorable songcraft, most of it generated internally. Devout Rastafarians, the trio tempered spiritual and political themes with romantic material, securing wider reach than more confrontational acts such as Culture or Black Uhuru. In both love songs and protest statements, they delivered intense emotional conviction on their strongest work, leaving the debut album Right Time as one of the genre’s lasting landmarks.

Formed in 1969 inside Kingston’s Trenchtown district—the same neighborhood that produced Bob Marley—the lineup remained fixed from the outset around founder and harmony singer Pat “Lloyd” Ferguson (also known as Judge Diamond, the Judge), lead singer Donald Shaw (Tabby Diamond, the Prophet), and harmony singer Fitzroy Simpson (Bunny Diamond, the Jester). Their melodic style and coordinated stage movements drew clear inspiration from 1960s Motown ensembles. Early-1970s sessions for producers including Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards brought scant results. A breakthrough arrived in 1973 at Byron Lee’s Dynamic Sounds studio with the hit “Shame and Pride.”

In 1975 the group joined Joseph “JoJo” Hoo Kim’s Channel One roster and quickly scored successes with “Country Living” and “Hey Girl,” followed by the larger hit “Right Time.” A Virgin Records deal yielded the 1976 self-titled debut album Right Time, whose graceful yet forceful treatments of social and spiritual topics quickly earned classic status and further hits in “I Need a Roof,” “Have Mercy,” and “Africa.” Now prominent in both Jamaica and the United Kingdom, they recorded the next album, Ice on Fire, in New Orleans under Allen Toussaint’s production; the uneasy fusion of reggae and American R&B drew criticism from roots-oriented listeners.

Stepping away from crossover ambitions, the Mighty Diamonds returned to Channel One and issued several robust roots albums in subsequent years: 1978’s Stand Up for Your Judgement, 1979’s Tell Me What’s Wrong, and the widely praised 1979 set Deeper Roots. Early in the 1980s they collaborated with producer Gussie Clarke on Changes, which reworked vintage Studio One rhythms; one new track, “Pass the Kouchie” (sometimes rendered “Kutchie”), became a substantial Jamaican success and was reworked in 1982 by Musical Youth as the U.S. and U.K. hit “Pass the Dutchie,” substituting a cooking vessel for the original’s cannabis reference.

Mid-1980s efforts began folding in the digital textures of ragga, heard on 1985’s Struggling and on the Clarke-produced albums The Real Enemy (1987) and Get Ready (1988). Multiple collections of unreleased Channel One material also appeared throughout the decade. Output slowed during the 1990s, yet notable releases still surfaced, including the smooth, soul-leaning Paint It Red in 1993 and the more direct Speak the Truth in 1994. The group maintained a demanding international touring schedule into the new millennium and made repeated appearances at the annual Reggae Sunsplash Festival. Lead singer Donald Shaw (Tabby Diamond) died on March 30, 2022 from gunshot wounds sustained in a drive-by shooting. Days later, on April 1, 2022, bandmate Fitzroy Simpson (Bunny Diamond) died after suffering a stroke in 2017 and ongoing treatment for diabetes.