Junior English
Junior English | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Lindel Beresford English |
Born | 1951 (1951) Kingston, Jamaica |
Died | (aged 71) |
Genres | Reggae |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | Early 1960s–2023 |
Labels | Trojan Burning Vibrations Burning Sounds Burning Rockers International English |
Lindel Beresford English (1951 – 10 March 2023), better known as Junior English, was a Jamaican reggae singer who began his career in the early 1960s before relocating to England.
Biography
English was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1951.[1] He began performing as a teenager and recorded early tracks such as "Fay is Gone" and "My Queen" (a duet with Errol Dunkley) for producer Prince Buster in the early–mid 1960s.[1][2] He relocated to England in 1964, living at first in Preston then London, where he completed his education.[3] After entering and winning a talent contest organised by the Palmer brothers (of Pama Records), he joined The Magnets, with whom he toured Europe.[1] He then joined The Nighthawks, releasing an album with the group in 1969, Man it's Reggae, before restarting his solo career the same year.[1] He had a string of reggae hits in the early 1970s, working with producer Clement Bushay, but his career was interrupted when he served a six-month prison sentence for driving whilst disqualified.[3] While in prison, he wrote many of the songs that would appear on his debut solo album, The Dynamic Junior English, released in 1974.[3] This was followed in 1976 by The Great Junior English, but his most prolific year would come in 1978, when four albums were released, and he had a Christmas number one on the UK reggae chart with "In Loving You".[1] His success continued through the 1980s, and he set up his own International English label for many of his subsequent releases.[1] In 1985, he contributed to the British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal single "Let's Make Africa Green Again".[1] He continued to perform and record into the 1990s and 2000s, with cover versions of "Queen Majesty" and "Cruising", and the album Mr. Man.[1]
English died on 10 March 2023, at the age of 71.[4][5]
Discography
Albums
- The Dynamic Junior English (1974), Cactus
- The Great Junior English (1976), Horse
- Crashed! (1978), Form
- Naturally High (1978), Burning Vibrations (JA)/Burning Sounds (UK)
- Jack the Ripper (1978), Form
- Win Some Lose Some (1978), Burning Sounds
- Lovers Key (1980), Burning Vibrations/Burning Rockers
- The Best of Junior English (1980), Exclusive
- Two of a Kind (1983), Sunsplash
- In Loving You (1988)
- Mister Man (1990), International English
- Come With Me (2008), Jet Star
- U Make Me Happy (2010), International English
Singles
- "Fay is Gone" (1964), Blue Beat
- "My Queen" (1964), Blue Beat (with Errol Dunkley)
- "Nobody Knows" (1969), Camel
- "Miss Playgirl"
- "Daniel" (1973), Pama Supreme
- "I Don't Want to Die" (1973), Pama
- "Jesamine" (1971), Pama
- "Anniversary" (1972), Banana
- "One & Only Lover" (1973), Count Shelly
- "I'm Back on the Scene" (1974), Trojan
- "I Hear My Train" (197?), Horse
- "Lady Madana" (1976), Jama
- "Be Thankful" (1977), Ethnic Fight
- "Daddy Is Home" (197?), Ethnic
- "Muriel" (197?), Ethnic
- "Love & Key" (1978), Burning Rockers
- "Never Loose Never Win" (1977), Burning Sounds
- "The Way We Were" (1978), Exclusive
- "You Don't Care" (197?), Exclusive – with Errol Scorcher
- "Natural High" (1979), Burning Rockers
- "Stop Using Love" (19??), Burning Rockers
- "I am the One Who Loves You" (19??), Burning Rockers
- "You are so Good to Me" (1978), Form
- "Take Care of Yourself" (1981), Form
- "I am so Happy" (1982), Form
- "Don't Cry" (19??), Form
- "Ready to Learn", International English
- "Only Sixteen" (1984), PRT
- "Never Too Late" (198?), International English
- "Loneliness" (198?), U Mat
- "Don't Cry" (1987), Exclusive – B-side of Jackie Paris – "Once in My Life"
- "Got to Come Back" (19??), Venture
- "Between You & Me" (19??), International English – with Christine Joy White
- "We Can Work It Out" (19??), Cha Cha
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, pp. 94–95
- ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 105
- ^ a b c Gayle, Carl (1974) "Junior's Cool", Black Music, September 1974, vol. 1, issue 10
- ^ "Junior English has died". Reggae Vibes. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ Shrouder, Michael (6 April 2023). "Junior English obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
External links
- Junior English at Roots Archives
- Junior English discography at Discogs