Noel George Williams (19 September 1943 – 5 January 2015), better known as King Sporty, was a Jamaican DJ,

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 ...

musician, and record producer for the Tashamba and Konduko labels. He is best known for co-writing the song, " Buffalo Soldier", made famous by

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

Biography

Born in Portland, Jamaica,Campbell, Howard (2015)
King Sporty Is Dead
", ''

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 ...

'', 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015 in his early days Sporty rose to become a studio

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

under Clement Dodd's tutelage at Studio One, and recorded for Dodd as a deejay as well as deejaying on Dodd's

sound system Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

. In 1965 he released the track "El Cid", credited to King Sporty and Justin Yap. In the early 1970s he moved to Miami, Florida and began producing music there under his Tashamba and Konduko labels. In 1977 Sporty released an album, ''Mr. Rhythm'' on his own Konduko label." King Sporty Biography,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Retrieved 7 January 2015 He evolved from reggae to

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disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

to electro to

Miami bass Miami bass (also known as booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexual ...

between the 1970s and 1980s. Sporty found lasting hits in the electro funk canon with Connie Case's "Get on Down" and "Haven't Been Funked Enough", under his Ex Tras moniker when he made licensing deals with

Tommy Boy Records Tommy Boy Records is an American independent record label and multimedia brand founded in 1981 by Tom Silverman. The label is credited with helping and launching the music careers of Queen Latifah, Amber, Afrika Bambaataa, Stetsasonic, Digita ...

in 1982. His original version of "Buffalo Soldier" was released in the late 1970s. Marley first recorded the song in Miami towards the end of the ''Kaya'' tour in 1978.Moskowitz, David V. (2007)
Bob Marley: A Biography
', Greenwood Press, He released the track "Computer Age" in 1992 under the name Sporty and the Laptop. Sporty was married to the American

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

singer, Betty Wright. International Reggae and World Music Awards – IRAWMA honored Mr. Williams with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. In 2013 Sporty's song "Self Destruct" was sampled by

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

for his song "That Girl" on his '' The 20/20 Experience'' album. He died on 5 January 2015 in Miami, Florida, aged 71.

Group names used

*King Sporty & The Root Rockers *King Sporty and the Ex Tras *Noel Williams & The Extra Funk Factory *Sporty & The Laptop

Discography

*''Deep Reggae Roots'' (1976), Konduko *''Mr. Rhythm'' (1977), Konduko *''Extra Funky'' (1983), Dancefloor *''Meet Me at the Disco'' (1983), Dancefloor

References

External links

Discography at Roots-archives.comJamaica's first Dub Poets
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sporty, King 1943 births 2015 deaths People from Portland Parish Jamaican male songwriters Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican record producers