I Roy

ROY SAMUEL REID AKA “I-ROY” WAS BORN IN SPANISH TOWN JAMAICA 1944. HIS MUSIC CAREER STARTED IN LATE 1966,HE FIRST RECORDED FOR HARRY MUDIE, AND HARRY GAVE HIM THE NAME I-ROY AFTER THE GREAT U-ROY. THIS COLLABRATION ENDED IN 1971 AND I-ROY WENT ON TO RECORD FOR WINSTON BLAKE AND LLOYD CAMPBELL. IN 1973 HE FIRST RECORDED FOR BUNNY STRIKER LEE, IT WAS THEN WITH HIS TALENT AND STRIKERS MAGIC THAT HIS NAME STARTED MAKING WAVES.
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IN A TIME OF PURE PASSION AND A NEED TO HIT THE TOP SPOT, I-ROY, GUIDED BY STIKER RELEASED ONE FIRST SINGLES OF IT’S KIND A STRIAGHT ATTACK ON PRINCE JAZZBO, WITH THE TRACK CALLED ‘STRAIGHT TO JAZZBO HEAD’. THIS CAUSED HUGE ATTENTION AND JAZZBO DIDN’T LET THE FOCUS DIE, WITH HIS RESPONSE ‘STRAIGHT TO I-ROY’S HEAD’. BOTH OF THESE TRACKS WERE PRODUCED BY STIKER.THIS CLASH PROPPELLED THE TWO ARTISTS INTO REGGAE HISTORY. I-ROY, NOW A HUGE STAR, CONTINUED RECORDING AND PREFORMING UNTIL HIS DEATH ON NOVEMBER 27, 1999.