Highland Ralph Dobson OD (5 July 1942 – 21 July 2020) was 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 and record producer, nicknamed "The Loving Pauper" after one of his best known songs.
Biography
Dobson began singing while a student at Central Branch School in Kingston and at Kingston College, where he sang in the chapel choir, and successfully took part in Vere Johns ''Opportunity Hour'' talent contest as a member of The Twilights.Dobby Dobson for KC fund-raiser ", ''
Jamaica Observer
The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published 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 ...
'', 20 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012Black, Roy (2015) Roy Black Column , ''
Jamaica Gleaner
''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica.
It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...
'', 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015 While at Kingston College he wrote the
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...
song "Cry a Little Cry" as a tribute to his biology teacher. He recruited a group of schoolmates from the Delta stream at the college to back him on a recording of the song, under the name the Dobby Dobson and the Deltas;Dobson’s mastery of English language powered his songwriting skills , ''
Jamaica Gleaner
''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica.
It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...
'', 12 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015 The group included Howard Barrett (who later formed The Paragons). Released by Lyndon and
Sonia Pottinger
Sonia Eloise Pottinger OD ( Durrant; 21 June 1931 – 3 November 2010)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 316
Leaving school in 1959, Dobson went on record with Charles Josephs as part of the duo Chuck and Dobby, before becoming a solo artist in the early 1960s, again recording for Pottinger. He later moved on to work with both
Coxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond.
He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent ...
and
Duke Reid
Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and record label owner.
He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System, whilst Duke himself was known as The Tr ...
, recording as a member of both The Virtues and The Sheiks, and recorded "Loving Pauper" with Reid, which became his signature tune. Despite his musical success, Dobson kept his job as a salesman and proof-reader for '' The Jamaica Gleaner''. In 1971, he recorded "That Wonderful Sound" for Rupie Edwards, which sold over 40,000 copies in the Caribbean, and was followed up by the equally successful " Endlessly", which was also a minor hit on the UK Singles Chart.
Disappointing album sales led Dobson to move into production, including The Meditations' late 1970s albums ''Message From The Meditations'' and ''Wake Up'', as well as early work by
Barrington Levy
Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist from Clarendon, Jamaica.
Career
In 1977, Levy formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Bla ...
. In 1979, Dobson emigrated to New York City, where he worked in real estate, although he would still occasionally visit the recording studio, and performed at both the Reggae Sunsplash and the
Reggae Sumfest
Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and the Caribbean, taking place each year in mid-July in Montego Bay.Johnson, Richard (2014)All Set for Sumfest, '' Jamaica Observer'', 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014 Sumfest started in 1 ...
festivals. He continued to be popular with international fans, and was still releasing albums.
Dobson was featured in a 2009 3-D documentary called ''Dobby Dobson: An Interview with Jamaica's Music Ambassador'', which had the tagline: "See The Double-D in 3D".
On 6 August 2011, being the 49th anniversary of the country's independence, the
Governor-General of Jamaica
The governor-general of Jamaica () is the representative of the Jamaican monarch, currently King Charles III, in Jamaica. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister of Jamaica. The functions ...
conferred the
Order of Distinction
The Order of Distinction (OD) is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Ac ...
in the rank of Officer (OD) upon Dobson, for his contribution to reggae music and representation of Jamaican culture.
He became a born-again Christian and recorded several gospel albums.
Death
Dobson, who had Alzheimer's disease, died from
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
On March 1, 2020, the U.S. state of Florida officially reported its first two COVID-19 cases in Manatee County, Florida, Manatee and Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough counties. There is evidence, however, that community spread of COV ...
.
Albums
*''Wonderful Sound'' (1970), Success
*''Strange'' (1970), Pama
*''God Bless Our Love'', Straker's
*''Baby I'm Yours'' (1977), WIRL/Double-D
*''Something Old Something New'' (1977), Double-D
*''Sweet Dreams'' (1978), Federal
*''Dobby Dobson'' (1978), Gorgon
*''Oh God, Are You Satisfied'' (1978),
United Artists
United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...
*''Sweet Christmas'' (1978), Top Ranking (featuring Ringo)
*''Lovers Roots'' (198?), Success – split with Rupie Edwards
*''Nothing But Love Songs Vol.3'' (1980), Pioneer International
*''For Lovers Everywhere'' (1983), K&K
*''Sweet Dream Again! Volume 2'', Pioneer International
*''Love You Thru It All'', Studio One
*''History For Lovers'' (1990), Shelly's
*''At Last'' (1994), Angella
*''If I Only Had Time'' (1997), Angella
*''Hide Under The Bed'' (2001), Innerbeat
*''Lovers Prayer'' (2005)
*''Those Days are Gone'' (2006)
*''He Knows My Heart'' (2008), Dobby Dobson
*''Tomorrow'' (2007), Dobby Dobson
*''Love Songs for Jesus'' (2008), Dobby Dobson
*''You Raised Me Up''
*''A Songs For Everyone'' (2011), MVD
*''I'm Just a Nobody'' (2012)
*''Desperation'' (2012), Dobby Dobson
*'' i can't breathe'' (2020), Dobby Dobson
*'' T.N.T'' (1942), AC/DC
;Compilations:
*''Through The Years'' (1991), Studio One
*''Best of Dobby Dobson'' (1997), Super Power
*''Greatest Hits'' (1997), Sonic Sounds
*''The Vintage Series'' (2000), VP
*''The Best of Dobby Dobson'' (2001), TP