Dwight Pinkney OD (born 1945), also known as Brother Dee, is a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...

n guitarist best known for his work as a session musician and as a member of Zap Pow and the

Roots Radics The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkney ...

, who since 1999 has recorded as a solo artist.

Biography

Dwight Pinkney was born in

Manchester Parish, Jamaica The Parish of Manchester is a parish located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre. Its St. Paul of the Cross Pro-Cathedral is the episcopal see of the Latin Catholic Dioce ...

, moving to

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

as a youth.Larkin, Colin (1998), ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 224.Moskowitz, David V. (2006), ''Caribbean Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 236. In the mid-1960s he formed The Sharks as guitarist, the band recording for

Studio One Studio One or Studio 1 may refer to: * Studio One (software), digital audio workstation software, developed by PreSonus * ''Studio One'' (American TV series), a 1948–1958 American television anthology series * ''Studio One'' (Emirati TV progra ...

and backing

The Wailers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

on their 1965 Jamaican hit single "Put It On", also providing backing for recordings by

Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...

and

The Gaylads The Gaylads are a Jamaican vocal group. They were one of the top rocksteady vocal groups active in Jamaica between 1963 and 1973. History The group, formed in Kingston, originally consisted of singers Harris "B.B." Seaton, Winston Delano St ...

. One of Pinkney's most successful songs, written in 1967 while a member of The Sharks, is "How Could I Live", which was originally released as the b-side of Jeff Dixon and

Marcia Griffiths Marcia Llyneth Griffiths (born 23 November 1949) is a Jamaican singer. One reviewer described her by noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances". Biography Born in West Kingst ...

' "Words" single, and has since been recorded by artists including Myrna Hague,

The Heptones The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady into ...

Richie Stephens Richard Stephenson (born 5 December 1966), better known as Richie Stephens is a Jamaican R&B, dancehall and reggae singer and producer. Biography Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica,

George Nooks George Nooks, Prince Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, or George Knooks (born c. 1958 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae singer who initially found fame as a deejay. Biography Nooks started his musical career in the youth choir at his church, and move ...

, and

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lo ...

(as "How Could I Leave").Walters, Basil (2005),
Dwight Pinkney and How Could I Live: Behind the Song
", ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety ...

'', 12 April 2005Cooke, Mel (2007)
STORY OF THE SONG: Guitarist plucks heartstrings with 'How Could I Live'
, ''

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. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to '' ...

'', 9 September 2007. Pinkney moved on along with Michael Williams to form Zap Pow in 1969, a band with members later included

Beres Hammond Beres Hammond OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. ...

, David Madden, and Glen DaCosta. Zap Pow recorded several albums and their best-known song, "This is Reggae Music", was co-written by Pinkney. In the mid-1970s, Pinkney put his recording career on hold to attend the

Jamaican School of Music Jamaican may refer to: * Something or someone of, from, or related to the country of Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and t ...

, undertaking a course in Afro-American music, and studying arranging, and later taking on a teaching role.In the early 1980s he joined the

, replacing Sowell Radics, and he also worked on dozens of albums by artists including Barry Brown,

Bunny Wailer Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter To ...

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...

Frankie Paul Paul Blake (19 October 1965 – 18 May 2017), better known as Frankie Paul, was a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'. Biography Born in Jamaica in 1965, Blake was born blind bu ...

The Itals The Itals are a Jamaican reggae vocal group formed in 1976 by Alvin "Keith" Porter, Lloyd Ricketts, and Ronnie Davis (formerly a member of The Tennors), all of whom had previously also recorded as solo artists. All three had worked together i ...

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

, Lee Scratch Perry, Israel Vibration,

Freddie McGregor 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 form The C ...

Toots Toots may refer to: People *Toots (nickname) *Adalbert Toots (1910–1948), Estonian wrestler *Aleksander Toots (born 1969), deputy director of the Estonian Internal Security Service *Arved Toots (1930–1992), Estonian agronomist and breeder of ...

, Charlie Chaplin and many others. In 1999 he released his debut solo album, the award winning ''Jamaican Memories by the Score'', which includes an updated version of "How Could I Live". Further albums followed in 2000 and 2002. In 2004 he contributed to the album ''Is it Rolling Bob? A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan''.Woodcraft, Molloy (2004),
Dub on the tracks
, ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

'', 15 August 2004. In 2008 he released an album of instrumental versions of

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

songs, ''Dwight Pinkney Picks Marley Melodies''.Cooke, Mel (2008),
Pinkney 'picks' through personal Marley memories
, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 29 June 2008. In 2000, he formed a new band, the Distinguished Personalities Band (aka the DP Band) along with Keith Francis and Earl Fitzsimmons.Cooke, Mel (2005),

, ''

'', 4 September 2005. In 2012 he released ''Dwight Pinkney and D.P. Band Plays the Ventures+ Jamaican Style'', an album of instrumentals featuring reggae versions of surf instrumentals and film and television themes.Campbell, Howard (2012),
Pinkney strums up nod on Grammy draft list
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 16 November 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2012. It was included in the provisional list of 50 albums in contention for the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for Best Reggae Album. In 2016, Pinkney released the album ''Reggae Christmas Hits'', including contributions from

Bob Andy Keith Anderson CD (28 October 1944 – 27 March 2020), better known by the stage name Bob Andy, was a Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter. He was widely regarded as one of reggae's most influential songwriters. Early life Anderson was bor ...

, Boris Gardiner, Pam Hall, Ansel Collins, and

Dean Fraser Dean Ivanhoe Fraser (sometimes appearing as Dean Frazer) (born 4 August 1957)Allmusic.com biography by Sandra Brennan/ref> is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Mu ...

. Pinkney has also appeared in the films '' Smile Orange'', '' Land of Look Behind'', and ''Holyland''. In August 2014 it was announced that Pinkney would receive the

Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction 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 Act'') i ...

in October that year for his contribution to the development of Jamaican music.Recognising Dwight Pinkney
, ''Jamaica Observer'', 12 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.

Solo discography

*''Jamaican Memories by the Score'' (1999) RAS/TP *''All Occasions'' (2000) *''More Jamaican Memories'' (2002) VP *''Home Grown Jamaican'' (2005) *''Reggae Chronicles'' (2006) Hallmark *''Love & Peace'' (2007) *''Dwight Pinkney Picks Marley Melodies'' (2008) VP *''Dwight Pinkney and D.P. Band Plays the Ventures+ Jamaican Style'' (2012), Tad's *''Reggae Christmas Hits'' (2016), Abengg International *''Knockout'' (2021) VP

Awards

*Jamaica Federation of Musicians Union (JFMU) Award for ''Jamaican Memories by the Score'' *Reggae-Soca Music Award for ''Jamaican Memories by the Score'' *Canadian Pippers Award, 2002 *International Reggae and World Music Award (IRAWMA) of Honour for contribution the development of Jamaican music, 2008.Walters, Basil (2008),
Dwight Pinkney Picks Marley Melodies superbly
", ''Jamaica Observer'', 29 June 2008. *Order of Distinction -Officer class from Government of Jamaica 2014

References

External links

*
Dwight Pickney
at Roots Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinkney, Dwight 1945 births Jamaican guitarists Male guitarists Jamaican reggae musicians People from Manchester Parish Living people Recipients of the Order of Distinction