Uzziah "Sticky" Thompson (1 August 1936 – 25 August 2014) was a

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

n percussionist, vocalist and

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

active from the late 1950s. He worked with some of the best known performers of Jamaican music and played on hundreds of albums.

Biography

Thompson was born the third of five children in rural Mannings Mountain, Jamaica on 1 August 1936.Katz, David (2000) ''People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry'', Payback Press; , pp. 54, 113. Due to his family's poverty he was unable to complete his education and moved to

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

at the age of 15 in search of work. Thompson found employment with

Clement "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 a ...

, assisting him with running his

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 time becoming a

with the system under the name "Cool Sticky". He became one of the earliest men to record in the new deejay style, using his mouth to make clicks and other percussive sounds. As a deejay he recorded with

The Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone (song), Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Bus ...

and can be heard on the tracks "Ball of Fire", "El Pussy Cat Ska", "Guns of Navarone", as well as others. While working for Dodd he became friends with

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development ...

, and Thompson recorded as a deejay for Perry, and for

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 ...

in the late 1960s, on tracks such as "Train to Soulsville". Thompson rose to prominence as an instrumentalist in the early 1970s, beginning with a session by

The Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as the Wailers and prior to that the Wailing Rudeboys, the Wailing Wailers and the Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

for Perry in 1970, soon becoming one of Jamaica's top percussionists.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press; , pp. 294–95. He became a regular session musician in several studios, including playing as a member of Gibbs' house band

The Revolutionaries The Revolutionaries (sometimes known as "Revolutionaires") was a Jamaican reggae band. Career Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Bertram "Ranchi ...

,Bradley, Lloyd (2000) ''This Is Reggae Music'', Grove Press; , p. 358. recording prolifically throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and appearing on recordings by artists including

Big Youth Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica),Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Jah Youth), is a Jamaican Toasting (J ...

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 l ...

The Congos The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica) and Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), later becoming a tri ...

Culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

(including ''

Two Sevens Clash ''Two Sevens Clash'' is the debut album by roots reggae band Culture, recorded with producer Joe Gibbs at his own Joe Gibbs Recording Studio in Kingston in 1976, and released on Gibbs' eponymous label in 1977 (see 1977 in music). The album's titl ...

''),

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band Bob Marley and the Wa ...

Burning Spear Winston Rodney Order of Distinction, OD (born 1 March 1945), better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist, and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian movement, Rastafarian and one of the ...

('' Dry and Heavy''),

Yabby You Vivian Neville Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising self-produced work. Biogra ...

(''Beware Dub''),

The Wailing Souls The Wailing Souls (originally The Renegades) are a Jamaican reggae vocal group whose origins date back to the 1960s. The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years with Winston "Pipe" Matthews and Lloyd "Bread" McDonald the only ...

and

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...

.Campbell, Howard (2009)
Hand drummers take centre stage
", ''

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 September 2009; retrieved 21 March 2010.Grass, Randall (2009) ''Great Spirits: Portraits of Life-changing World Music Artists'', University Press of Mississippi; , p. 193. He performed as part of the live bands of several artists including

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...

(playing on the 1976 album ''In Concert'' and playing in his Oneness band).Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books; , p. 78. In the 1980s, Thompson was a regular member of

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru ( Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful pe ...

, playing on their early 1980s albums ''Sinsemilla'', ''Red'', ''Chill Out'', and ''Dub Factor''. In 1978, Sticky Thompson made a brief cameo in Ted Bafaloukos' film Rockers, playing the tambourine in the Harry J's Recording Studio with Kiddus I. He was also part of the Rockers All Stars, the group responsible for creating the instrumental music for the film. Thompson continued to play regularly on studio sessions for artists such as

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 Tosh. ...

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...

(as a member of the

Compass Point All Stars Compass Point Studios was a music recording studio in the Bahamas, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records. The concept of the studio was of a recording facility supported by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers ...

),O'Brien, Glenn (1987)
Platter du Jour: Grace Jones – ''Inside Story''
, ''

SPIN Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'', January 1987; retrieved 21 March 2010. The Tom Tom Club,

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

Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is the son of Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 2002, with whom he released eight studio albums. After ...

throughout the 1980s and 1990s.Campbell, Howard (2014)
Life after 'Sticky': Remembering percussionist 'Sticky' Thompson
, ''

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 ...

'', 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014 More recently he recorded with

Stephen Marley Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972) is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Damian ...

(the

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-winning ''

Mind Control Mind control may refer to: Psychology and neurology * Brainwashing, the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques * Brain–computer interface * Hypnosis * Neuroprosthetics, the technology of cont ...

''),Tuff Gong celebrates Ziggy, Stephen Grammy wins
, ''

'', 13 March 2010; retrieved 21 March 2010.

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

,Cooke, Mel (2005)
Sinead presents 'Rasta record'
, ''

'', 10 August 2005, retrieved 21 March 2010.

Bruno Blum Bruno Blum (born October 4, 1960, Vichy, France) is a French singer songwriter, guitar player, music producer and musicologist sometimes nicknamed "Doc Reggae". He is mostly known for his work in the reggae, Caribbean music, rock music and Afric ...

and

Michael Franti Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. Known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including the Beatnig ...

.Campbell, Howard (2009)
Journeyman Michael Franti finds right formula in Kingston
, ''

'', 22 November 2009; retrieved 21 March 2010. Thompson remained active in the Jamaican music industry. In the 2000s he moved into production, with his sons Kevin and Alrick and toured the world with Ziggy Marley's band. He died on 25 August 2014, aged 78, at his

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

home after suffering a heart attack. Leaving his wife Sharon of 40 years, daughters Andria, Chairmane, Anna-Kay (Annie) and his sons Kevin and Alrick "Sticky2" Thompson; Alrick himself died on February 6, 2016.Campbell, Howard (2014)
"Uzziah 'Sticky' Thompson dies"
, ''

'', 27 August 2014; retrieved 28 August 2014.

Collaborations

With

* '' Visions of Dennis Brown'' (Joe Gibbs Music, 1978) * ''Words of Wisdom'' (Joe Gibbs Music, 1979) * ''Spellbound'' (Joe Gibbs Music, 1980) * '' Foul Play'' (A&M Records, 1981) * ''Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow'' (Joe Gibbs Music, 1982) With

* ''Brave Warrior'' (EMI, 1975) * ''Follow My Mind'' (Reprise Records, 1975) * ''

Give Thankx ''Give Thankx'' is an album by the Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff, released in 1978. Many of its songs were influenced by Cliff's travels in Africa. The album was produced by Bob Johnston. Critical reception The ''Calgary Herald'' opined that th ...

'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1978) * ''Give the People What They Want'' (MCA Records, 1981) * ''Special'' (Columbia Records, 1982) * ''The Power and the Glory'' (CBS Records, 1983) With

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright ...

* ''

Sheffield Steel ''Sheffield Steel'' is the eighth studio album by Joe Cocker, produced by Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin, with Sly and Robbie, Wally Badarou, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson, a.k.a. the Compass Point Allstars, a s ...

'' (Island Records, 1982) With

Carlene Davis Carlene Davis (born ) is a Jamaican gospel and reggae singer active since the 1970s. Successful since the early 1980s as a reggae artist, she survived cancer in the mid-1990s, after which she dedicated her career to gospel music. She has release ...

* ''At the Right Time'' (Carib Gems, 1980) * ''Paradise'' (Orange Records, 1984) With

Gwen Guthrie Gwendolyn Guthrie (July 9, 1950 – February 3, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter and pianist who also sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, The Limit and Madonna, among others, and who wrote son ...

* ''Gwen Guthrie'' (Island Records, 1982) With

* ''

Warm Leatherette "Warm Leatherette" is a song by Daniel Miller's project the Normal, released in 1978. Grace Jones recorded a well-known cover of the song in 1980. The Normal original Overview The lyrics of "Warm Leatherette" reference J. G. Ballard's controve ...

'' (Island Records, 1980) * '' Nightclubbing'' (Island Records, 1981) * ''

Living My Life ''Living My Life'' is the autobiography of Lithuanian-born anarchist Emma Goldman, who became internationally renowned as an activist based in the United States. It was published in two volumes in 1931 (Alfred A. Knopf) and 1934 (Garden City Pub ...

'' (Island Records, 1982) * ''

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...

'' (PIAS Recordings, 2008) With

* ''

'' (Tuff Gong, 2007) * '' Revelation Pt. 1 – The Root of Life'' (Universal Records, 2011) With

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers were a Jamaican-American reggae family group whose line-up consisted of the children of musicians, Bob Marley and Rita Marley, which includes lead singer Ziggy Marley with Sharon Marley, Cedella Marley, and S ...

* ''

Play the Game Right ''Play the Game Right'' is the debut album by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, released in 1985. The album was executive produced by Rita Marley. The album was nominated for a Grammy. Critical reception AllMusic called ''Play the Game Right'' ...

'' (EMI, 1985) * ''

One Bright Day ''One Bright Day'' is the fourth album by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers were a Jamaican-American reggae family group whose line-up consisted of the children of musicians, Bob Marley and Rita Marley, wh ...

'' (Virgin Records, 1989) * ''

Jahmekya ''Jahmekya'' is a studio album by the reggae group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, released in 1991. The album was nominated for a Grammy. It peaked at #63 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Production The album was produced by Glenn Rosenstein and ...

'' (Virgin Records, 1991) * ''

Joy and Blues Joy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratit ...

'' (Virgin Records, 1993) * '' Free Like We Want 2 B'' (Elektra Records, 1995) * ''

Fallen Is Babylon ''Fallen Is Babylon'' is the ninth album by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, released in 1997. It won a Grammy award in the category of Best Reggae Album, and achieved commercial success with its single, "People Get Ready", produced by Michael ...

'' (Elektra Records, 1997) * ''

Spirit of Music ''Spirit of Music'' is the ninth and final studio album by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, released in 1999. The album peaked at No. 1 for Top Reggae Albums chart. Unlike their previous albums, it was not nominated for a Grammy award. Cri ...

'' (Elektra Records, 1999) With

John Martyn Iain David McGeachy (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 studio albums and received frequent critical acclaim. ...

* ''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, cobalt, lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and silicon. The name ''sapphire ...

'' (Island Records, 1984) With

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

* ''

Countryman Countryman may refer to: Arts and media * ''Countryman'' (album), an album by Willie Nelson * ''Countryman'' (film), a motion picture set in Jamaica * ''Countryman'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''Countryman'' (newspaper), a rural-themed new ...

'' (Lost Highway Records, 2005) With

* ''

Throw Down Your Arms ''Throw Down Your Arms'' is the seventh studio album by Sinéad O'Connor, also known as her reggae album. O'Connor sings cover versions of classic roots reggae songs, with production by Sly and Robbie. The album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaic ...

'' (Chocolate and Vanilla, 2005) With

Barry Reynolds Barry Reynolds (born 27 October 1949, in Bolton, Lancashire) is a British guitar player, songwriter, composer and producer, best known for his long-lasting collaboration with Marianne Faithfull. Reynolds first emerged with the band TTPS://www. ...

* ''I Scare Myself'' (Island Records, 1982) With

* '' Equal Rights'' (EMI, 1977) * '' Bush Doctor'' (EMI, 1978) * ''

Mystic Man ''Mystic Man'' is the fourth studio album by Peter Tosh. All songs were composed by Peter Tosh. It was released in 1979 by Rolling Stones Records (his second album for the label), EMI, and Intel Diplo (in Jamaica). The album's cover photo, by An ...

'' (EMI, 1979) * '' Wanted Dread & Alive'' (Capitol Records, 1981) * '' Mama Africa'' (EMI, 1983) * ''

No Nuclear War ''No Nuclear War'' is the seventh and final studio album by the Jamaican musician Peter Tosh, released in 1987. Tosh was murdered shortly after its release; he had returned to Jamaica after meetings in New York City to discuss the lack of promotion ...

'' (EMI, 1987) With

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul music, soul and Rhythm and blues, R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career ...

* ''Wright Back At You'' (Epic Records, 1983)

References

External links

Uziah Sticky Thompson
at Roots Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Uziah Jamaican reggae musicians 1936 births 2014 deaths Jamaican expatriates in the United States The Revolutionaries members