Alphonso "Al" Campbell (born 31 August 1954) is a Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

singer active since the late 1960s.

Biography

Born in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

, Campbell's singing career began in church, where his father was a preacher, and Al would sing to raise funds. He went to school with Lloyd James (aka

Prince Jammy Lloyd Woodrowe James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer, sound system owner and record producer. He began hi ...

) and formed a vocal group with friends as a teenager, called The Thrillers, who recorded in the late 1960s for Studio One. After briefly joining up with

Freddie McGregor Fredrick "Freddie" McGregor (born 27 June 1956, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Jamaican singer, musician and record producer. His music career began when he was seven years old. Biography In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to ...

and Ernest Wilson, he went on to work with Prince Lincoln Thompson's Royal Rasses, and the Mighty Cloud band. Campbell then embarked on a solo career (also contributing vocals to two Heptones albums), and was a popular

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...

singer during the 1970s, recording for producers such as Phil Pratt,

Bunny Lee Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...

, and

Joe Gibbs Joseph Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former American football, football coach. He served as the head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 Washingto ...

, and recorded at Lee Perry's

Black Ark The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub music, dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. Despite the ru ...

studio. His "Gee Baby" was a big hit in 1975 in both Jamaica and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. He adapted successfully to the early

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

and lovers rock styles in the late 1970s and 1980s, working with producers such as

Linval Thompson Leval Alphonso Thompson (born 12 October 1954, Kingston, Jamaica), also known as Linval Thompson, is a Jamaican conscious roots reggae vocalist, dub musician and record producer. Biography Thompson was raised in Kingston, Jamaica, but spent ti ...

. Campbell's recording of "Late Night Blues" (1980) became a staple of blues parties. Campbell performed with the Stur-Gav sound system in the early 1980s. More recently he has recorded for King Jammy,

Philip "Fatis" Burrell Philip "Fatis" Burrell (23 July 1954 – 3 December 2011)Katz, David (2011)Philip 'Fatis' Burrell obituary, ''The Guardian'', 6 December 2011, retrieved 2011-12-06 was a Jamaican record producer, who ran the Xterminator record label. He was one o ...

, and Mafia & Fluxy. In 1997, he joined Cornell Campbell and Jimmy Riley in a new version of The Uniques, the group releasing a self-titled album in 1999. Campbell has not performed in Jamaica since a stageshow held by

Jack Ruby Jack Leon Ruby (born Jacob Leon Rubenstein; March 25, 1911January 3, 1967) was an American nightclub owner who murdered Lee Harvey Oswald on November 24, 1963, two days after Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Born in Chicago, R ...

shortly before the latter's death.Campbell-Livingston, Cecilia
Al Campbell is 'Man from Studio One'
. ''Jamaica Observer''. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-2-28. He continues to tour Europe and North America

Albums

*''Gee Baby'' (1977) Phil Pratt/Sunshot *''Ain't That Loving You'' (1978) Jamaica Sound (reissued 1994 as ''

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

Presents The Soulful Al Campbell'') *''Loving Moods of Al Campbell'' (1978) Ital *''Mr. Music Man'' (1978) Manic *''No More Running'' (1978) Terminal *''Showcase'' (1978) DEB *''Rainy Days'' (1978) Hawkeye *''Diamonds'' (1979) Burning Sounds *''More Al Campbell Showcase'' (197?)

Ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

*''Mr. Lovers Rock'' (1980) Sonic Sounds *''Late Night Blues'' (1980) JB *''The Other Side of Love'' (1981)

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English F ...

*''Dance Hall Stylee'' (1982) Narrows Enterprise *''Bad Boy'' (1984) CSA *''Freedom Street'' (1984) Londisc *''Forward Natty'' (1985) Move *''Shaggy Raggy'' (1985) Sampalu *''Reggae '85'' (1985) Blue Mountain *''Fence Too Tall'' (1987) Live & Love *''Ain't Too Proud To Beg'' - LP (1987) Live & Love *''Bounce Back'' (1990) Reggae Road *''The Soulful Al Campbell'' (1994) Rhino *''Road Block'' (1997) Exterminator *''Revival Selection'' (1998) Kickin' *''22 Karat Solid Gold'' (1998) Reggae Road *''22 Karat Gold Volume 2'' (1998) Reggae Road *''Rock On'' (1998) Charm *''Hit Me With Music'' (1998) Hot Shot *''Roots & Culture'' (1999) Jet Star *''Today, Tomorrow, Forever'' (2000) Reggae Road *''Deeper Roots'' (2001) Reggae Road *''Always In My Heart'' (2001) Artists Only *''Higher Heights'' (2002) Reggae Road *''Love From a Distance'' (2003) Cousins *''Tribute to Clement Coxsone Dodd'' (2004) Reggae Road *''24/7'' (2006) Reggae Road *''Rasta Time'' -

Lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

*''Talk About Love'' - Sonic Sounds *''It's Magic'' - free world music

References

External links

Al Campbell at Roots Archives

Al Campbell discography at ReggaeID
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Al AllMusic people Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica 1954 births Living people The Uniques (Jamaican group) members Greensleeves Records artists Rhino Entertainment artists