Terry Ganzie

Born Vandorne Johnson in Hanover, Jamaica, West Indies, Terry ‘The Outlaw’ Ganzie earned recognition as the deejay who, together with Buju Banton, revived Donovan Germain’s standing in dancehall circles. After Germain had already scored crossover success alongside Audrey Hall and Freddie McGregor, the producer strengthened his roster by bringing Ganzie, Wayne Wonder and Banton aboard during the early nineties. The three frequently voiced tracks together, and when Banton secured a Mercury Records deal, Ganzie and Rebel appeared alongside him on a striking version of Little Roy’s ‘Tribal War’.

Stepping beyond Banton’s shadow, Ganzie established his own presence through a string of successful singles, most notably ‘Showdown’ and ‘Heavy Like Lead’, whose title also graced his strongest album. Observers felt the project arrived at an inopportune moment, as Banton’s growing international profile drew attention away from Ganzie’s debut. Refusing to be sidelined, Ganzie sustained strong local support in Jamaica with the 1995 releases ‘Outlaw From The Past’, ‘Who Is It’ and the number-one hit ‘Fly Away Home’.

Inspired by that earlier success and the prevailing crew trend of the mid-nineties, Ganzie assembled a fresh collective called the Outlaw crew that featured newcomers Ritchie Melody, Rapper Richie and Wayne Sample. While the group thrived on the dancehall scene, Ganzie kept issuing solo material, including the well-received 1996 singles ‘Hey, Hello, Hi’, ‘Praise Jahoviah’, ‘Once Bitten’ and ‘Waan Go Home’. He has maintained a steady output of dancehall hits, reaching the charts again in 2000 with ‘Wicked And Hot’, ‘Can’t Dictate’ and ‘Free’.