|
| Ranking Joe |
BORN JOSEPH JACKSON, IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA, JULY 1, 1959, JOSEPH WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS AT TARRANT JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KINGSTON. JOE PERFORMED AT SCHOOL CONCERTS AND WON LOCAL TALENT CONTESTS IN THE MID-70S. AS HE GOT OLDER, HE PARTICIPATED IN STAGE SHOWS AND PARTIES IN DIFFERENT JAMAICAN PARISHES FOR VETERAN SINGER/PROMOTER JACKIE BROWN. HIS FIRST PERFORMING NAME WAS "DJ JOLLY". AND HE PERFORMED WITH WELL KNOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS HORACE ANDY, DENNIS BROWN, BINGY BUNNY AND KEITH POPPIN. AT AGE 15, HE WENT TO THE LEGENDARY STUDIO ONE TO AUDITION - THE RESULT WAS HIS FIRST BIG HIT 'GUN COURT', PRODUCED BY CLEMENT "COXSONNE" DODD AND A NAME CHANGE TO "LITTLE JOE".
AS HE GREW OLDER STILL, HE CHANGED HIS NAME ONCE AGAIN ON THE ADVICE OF PRINCE TONY ROBINSON TO "RANKIN JOE". JOE WORKED ALONGSIDE ROBINSON AND HAD HIT RECORDS SUCH AS 'A YOU MR FINNIGAN', WITH AN ALBUM TO FOLLOW OF THE SAME NAME. RANKIN JOE WAS THEN INTRODUCED TO THE KING OF DJS U-ROY, AFTER WHICH HE WORKED ON HIS KING STURGAV HI-FI, THE MOST POPULAR SOUND SYSTEM IN JAMAICA AT THAT TIME. JOES STRING OF SUCCESSES KEPT ROLLING AND LED TO AN INTRODUCTION TO JOE GIBBS. IN 1977 HE WAS VOTED THE MOST POPULAR DJ OF THAT YEAR AND IN 1978-79 HE WAS APPROACHED BY HENRY "JUNJO" LAWES OF THE VOLCANO LABEL. RANKING JOES CAREER HAS CONTINUED EARNESTLY AND NOW BOASTS A NUMBER OF WORLD TOURS AND A VARIETY OF COLLABORATIONS. HE CURRENTLY RESIDES IN NEW YORK.
|
|
|
