Dennis Brown - Biography

Change Image Last Editor: pevsner				Dennis Brown Biography -   Name : Dennis Brown Profession : Actor Birth name : Dennis Emmanuel Brown Also known as : The Crown Prince of Reggae Born : February 1, 1957(1957-02-01) Kingston, Jamaica Died : July 1, 1999 (aged 42) Kingston, Jamaica Genre(s) : Reggae, Lovers Rock Occupation(s) : Singer-songwriter Instrument(s) : Vocals, Guitar Years active : 1970 – 1999 Label(s) : Studio One, Trojan, Harry J, Joe Gibbs, A&M, DEB, Yvonne's Special, Greensleeves, Shanachie, Heartbeat, VP, RAS

Dennis Brown Trivia -

N/A

Dennis Brown Detailed Biography -

Dennis Emmanuel Brown (February 1, 1957 – July 1, 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, he had recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the pioneers of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae. Legendary singer Bob Marley cited Brown as his favorite singer, and dubbed him "The Crown Prince of Reggae". Brown's first recording was "Lips of Wine" recorded for Derrick Harriott (The Musical Chariot), but this was not released initially. He then recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, and Dodd released Brown's first single, "No Man is an Island". Brown recorded two albums for Dodd, No Man is an Island and If I Follow my Heart (the title track penned by Alton Ellis). Around this time, Brown recorded material for Lloyd Daley ("Baby Don't Do It" and "Things in Life") and material for Derrick Hariott, which was eventually released as the Super Reggae and Soul Hits album. He also worked for Earl Hayles and the Charmaine label early in his career. "Money In My Pocket" was a UK top 20 hit in 1979 (reaching #14 in the singles chart). This led to his contract with A&M Records, and to the formation of his own label, DEB records; which produced several of hits, including many by Junior Delgado. His first big hit was "Money In My Pocket" on the Joe Gibbs label, and by the late 1970s, Brown had recorded and performed chart-toppers such as "Sitting & Watching", "Wolves and Leopards", "Here I Come" and "Revolution"; many featuring Sly and Robbie as the rhythm section. As the dancehall era of the 1980s arrived, Brown frequently recorded with King Jammy and Gussie Clarke. His song "Revolution" is featured on the reggae radio station K-JAH Radio West in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. In May 1999, after touring in Brazil with other reggae singers, Brown began to feel ill. After returning to Kingston, Jamaica, on the evening of June 30, 1999, he was rushed to Kingston's University Hospital, suffering from cardiac arrest. Brown died the next day, and the official cause of his death was a collapsed lung. Former Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson and opposition leader Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party both spoke at Brown's funeral, which was held on July 17, 1999 in Kingston. The service, which lasted for three hours, also featured live performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and five of Brown's sons. Brown was then buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park. According to some sources, Brown became addicted to crack cocaine, which affected his career and may have led to his premature death.