Jamaican-born
singer Junior Reid is best known as the man that gave us the monster reggae hit "One Blood" as well as being the man that rep
laced Michael Rose as lead vocalist with Black Uhuru. Junior gets his inspiration from places, people and th
ings, and has embraced BoBo Shanti, an orthodox branch of the Rastafarian religion.He recorded his first single at the age of fourteen for the "late great" Hugh Mundell and then went on to form his own band "Voice of Progress" and recor ded the album "Mini-Bus Driver".
A strong admirer of Black Uhuru, Reid slipped with ease into the role of lead vocalist. Collaborating with Duckie and Puma, he delivered "Brutal, to critical acclaim from the media and public. Although the familiar Uhuru sound prevailed with Duckie's and Puma's vocals, five songs were written by Junior which provided a fresh lyrical energy. Reviews of his debut single "The Great Train Robbery", proclaimed it, "One of the most acclaimed reggae crosso ver records ever." Produced by Arthur Blake, the single massive radio play, went to number 40 on the British Charts and put Junior firmly on the map as the new lead vocalist. He would follow that with the "classic" "Fit" an ode to his belief in the need t o be "Fit' to get a 'Hit". All this would come to a grinding halt as "Politics" according to him, and a refusal by the US. Embassy to grant him a visa, would prevent him from touring the United States. This would lead to him leaving the group and returnin g to concentrate on his solo career. Two years and two albums later Junior would be featured on the ColdCut single "Stop This Crazy Thing" which hit the top 20 charts throughout Europe, further displaying Reid's versatility. Not letting the lack of a visa hold him back, Reid would press on with his career. Releasing hit after hit and touring the rest of the world, Junior would also build his JR Productions Studio and Distribution Center, ultimately becoming one of the premier producers in Jamaica. He would go to Europe, Canada and South America, while his North American fans clung to rumor after rumor about him finally getting a new visa. He would continue to satisfy his fans with hits like Foreign Mind, Banana Boat Man, All Fruits Ripe, Married Life, Friend Enemy, Rapa Pam Pam, Elenor Rigby, World Cry, Groupie Diana and I'm Free featuring Junior Reid and Soup Dragon, which went to #4 on the British Charts. His reggae anthem One Blood, and single of the same name, would also be nominated as "Best Album of the Year", "Song of the Year", "Best Single" and "Most Concious Lyrics of the Year". As his fame increased Madonna (yes, the Material Girl) would send emissaries to woo him and get him signed. But the expe rience of not having a visa had convinced Junior that his independence meant more to him than a 'Con' Trac' he wanted to remain a 'Free Man'. He politely declined the offer. Most recently he has released "Grammy", "Rasta World Dance", "See We Dem Nuh K now We",(a trio with Snow and Ninja Man) and "Listen to the Voices", which went to #1 on the R.J.R. Top 40 and the Daily Star charts. "Listen to the Voices" is also the name of his newest album due for an October release in the States. The video is currently in hot rotation on JBC and CMV-TV in Jamaica.