Lloyd Charmers (born Lloyd Tyrell, 18 April 1946 – 27 December 2012, also known as Lloyd Chalmers, Lloyd Terell, or Lloyd Terrell)Ruddock, George (2012)

, ''

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 ...

'', 29 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012 was a Jamaican

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

and

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,

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

player and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

Career

Lloyd Charmers was 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 ...

.Lloyd Charmers
,

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 29 December 2012 His professional career began in 1962, when he performed as the Charmers with Roy Willis on

Vere Johns Joseph Vere Everette Johns (28 November 1893 – 10 September 1966)

' ''Talent Hour'', starting a recording career soon afterward. When the Charmers split, he joined

Slim Smith Slim Smith (born Keith Smith; 1948 in Kingston, Jamaica – 1972) was a ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. In their book ''Reggae: The Rough Guide'' (1997), Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton described Smith as "the greatest vocalist to emerge ...

and Martin Jimmy Riley in the Uniques. Charmers subsequently moved on to a solo career, releasing two albums in 1970, and also recording X-rated tracks such as "Birth Control" and the album ''Censored'', these more risqué outings appearing under his real name or as 'Lloydie & The Lowbites'. He was also briefly a member of The Messengers, a short-lived supergroup that featured

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 ...

, B. B. Seaton and Busty Brown. He set up his own record label Splash in the early 1970s,Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, and moved into production.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 308 Productions by him were notable for their sophisticated arrangements, releasing music with

Don Drummond Don Drummond (12 March 1934 – 6 May 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many of their tunes. In 1966, Drummond was convicted of murdering his 23-year-old ...

Roland Alphonso Roland Alphonso OD or Rolando Alphonso "The Chief Musician" (12 January 1931 – 20 November 1998)Thompson, p. 262 was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist, and one of the founding members of the Skatalites. Biography Born in Havana, Cuba, Alphonso c ...

Max Romeo Maxwell Livingston Smith (22 November 1944 – 11 April 2025), known professionally as Max Romeo, was a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording musician who achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. He had several ...

Tommy McCook Tommy McCook (4 March 1927 – 5 May 1998) was a Jamaican saxophonist. A founding member of The Skatalites, he also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and backed many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries at Channel ...

The Abyssinians The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics. History The vocal trio was originally formed in 1968 by Bernard Collins and Donald Manning. Their fi ...

Roy Cousins Roy Anthony Cousins (born 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, producer, and record label owner, known for being lead singer and co creator of The Royals, his productions of artists such as Charlie Chaplin, Prince Far I, Sc ...

Cornell Campbell Cornel Campbell aka Don Cornel or Don Gorgon (born 23 November 1945 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae singer, best known for his trademark falsetto voice, and his recordings at Studio One in the late 1960s and his later work with Bunny Lee in ...

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 ...

, and

The Silvertones The Silvertones (who also recorded as The Valentines, The Gold Tones, The Admirals and The Muskyteers) are a Jamaican reggae harmony group formed in 1964, best known for their recordings for Lee "Scratch" Perry in the early 1970s. In 1964 thre ...

. With his session band the Now Generation he produced artists such as Ken Boothe (including some of Boothe's most successful solo releases of the period, such as his cover of

David Gates David Ashworth Gates (born December 11, 1940) is a retired American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread (band), Bread, which reached the top of the musical ch ...

' "

Everything I Own "Everything I Own" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's soft rock band Bread for their 1972 album '' Baby I'm-a Want You''. The original reached No. 5 on the American ''Billboard'' ...

"), B. B. Seaton,

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 ...

, and

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

. Charmers later relocated to the UK where he continued to record and produce in a variety of styles, from

lovers rock Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...

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 ...

. In 1980, UK ska band

the Specials The Specials, also known as the Special AKA, were an English 2 tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry. After some early changes, the first stable lineup of the group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, J ...

had a hit with "Too Much Too Young", an adaptation of Charmers' 1969 song "Birth Control". In 2001,

Steve Barrow Steve Barrow (born 29 September 1945) is a British reggae historiographer, chronologist, archivist, journalist, curator, writer, promoter, sound system operator, record-label owner and producer.

Blood and Fire (record label) Blood and Fire was a British reggae record label active from 1993-2014, specialising in reissues of 1970s dub. History Steve Barrow, Bob Harding, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, Elliot Rashman and Andy Dodd formed the record label in Mancheste ...

collected Charmer's rarities on an album entitled ''Darker Than Blue: Soul From Jamdown 1973 - 1980'', introducing his work to a new generation of listeners.

Death

Charmers died on 27 December 2012 from a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

(heart attack) in London while driving.

Discography

Albums

*''House in Session'' by Lloyd Charmers &

The Hippy Boys The Hippy Boys was a Jamaican band formed in 1968 by Lloyd Charmers. The band included guitarist Alva "Reggie" Lewis, organist Glen Adams, and brothers Aston 'Family Man' Barrett on bass guitar and Carlton Barrett on drums. After the UK Sin ...

(1969,

Pama Records Pama Records is a British record label active during the 1960s and 1970s. Initially focused on soul music, it became one of the major outlets for reggae in the UK. Background The label was set up by the Palmer Brothers – Harry, Jeff, and Carl ...

) *''Reggae Charm'' by Lloyd Charmers with

Byron Lee & the Dragonaires Byron Lee and the Dragonaires (known as Byron Lee's Dragonaires after Lee's death and now The Dragonaires) are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Byron L ...

(1970, Dynamic Sounds/

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded by Jamaican Duke Reid, Lee Gopthal and Chris Blackwell in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. Th ...

) *''Reggae Is Tight'' (1970, Trojan) *''Censored'' (1972, Lowbite) (as ''Lloydie and The Lowbites'') *''Charmers in Session'' (1973, Trojan) *''Wildflower Original Reggae Hits'' (1974, Trojan) *''Too Hot To Handle'' (1975, Wildflower) *''Golden Days'' (1980, Sarge) *''Sweet Memories'' (1982, Echo)

References

External links

Lloyd Charmers
at

Lloyd Charmers at Roots Archives
* Lloyd Charmers & The Aces: * Lloyd Charmers & The Hippy Boys: 1946 births 2012 deaths Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican male singers Jamaican record producers Jamaican ska musicians Jamaican reggae singers Trojan Records artists Jamaican expatriates in England The Uniques (Jamaican group) members {{reggae-stub