Winston Riley (14 May 1943 – 19 January 2012) was a Jamaican singer,

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

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 ...

. The ''

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 ...

'' notes he was one of the most successful

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 ...

producers.Jamaica Gleaner article - accessed August 2008

Biography

Riley 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 ...

. He formed the band

The Techniques The Techniques were a Jamaican rocksteady band (music), vocal group mainly active in the 1960s. History The group was formed by Winston Riley in 1962 while still at school, with the initial line-up also featuring Slim Smith, Franklyn White, and ...

in 1962 and recorded material with that group. He formed his own label in 1968 and produced records for several musicians, including Alton and Hortense Ellis and Johnny Osbourne.Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, p. 317, . Riley's own

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

, " Double Barrel", performed by

Dave and Ansell Collins Dave and Ansel Collins are a Jamaican vocal/instrumental duo (sometimes billed as Dave and Ansil Collins or Dave and Ansell Collins). History Dave Barker (born David John Crooks, 10 October 1947, Kingston, Jamaica) is a session vocalist, and ...

under his own production, was one of the first international

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

, reaching number 1 in the Dutch and UK Singles Chart.Black, Roy (2017)
The Music Diaries: Winston Riley’s Contribution To J'can Music Transcended Boundaries
, ''

'', 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017 His "

Stalag In Germany, stalag (; ) was a term used for prisoner-of-war camps. Stalag is a contraction of "Stammlager", itself short for ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager'', literally "main camp for enlisted prisoners of war" (officers were kept i ...

riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

is the most sampled reggae song of all time. The rhythm was first released in 1973, as the

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

Ansell Collins track "Stalag 17", named after the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

of the same name. It reappeared later as "Stalag 18", "Stalag 19", "Stalag 20" and "Ring the Alarm Quick". Riley produced General Echo's hugely influential album ''The Slackest'' in 1979, and he went on to launch the careers of Sister Nancy,

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, known professionally as Buju Banton, is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer. He is one of the most significant and well-re ...

, Cutty Ranks,

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

and

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 band

Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell (musician), John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJ ...

recorded Echo's song "Arlene", and have performed many versions of it at their

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

Discography

;Studio albums *Meditation Dub (1977) *Meditation Dub Vol 2 (LP) (1999) *Meditation Dub Vol 3 (LP) (1999) ;Singles & EPs * Sir Lee / Norman Grant / The Revolutionaires / Sonia Pottinger / Dillinger / Winston Riley - Back To The Music / Natty Dub It Into Dreamland / Melting Pot / Ital Rockers / Dub With Natty / Melting Dub (12", EP) (1977) * Ansil Collin* / Winston* & Ansil* - Black Out / Zion I (7", Single) ;Compilations *Quintessential Techniques (2009)

Death

On 1 November 2011, Winston was shot in the head at his home in Kingston. According to police, he had been the subject of several earlier attacks. After being in a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

since the shooting, he died on 19 January 2012.Winston Riley 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 ...

'', 20 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-20

References

External links

List of Riley productions
*

br>Interview with the ''Jamaica Gleaner'' newspaper - published 18 May 2008
* ttp://bigblackbarry.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/immortal-technique/ Dylan Powe's memories of Winston Riley. {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Winston 1943 births 2012 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican record producers Singers from Kingston, Jamaica Deaths by firearm in Jamaica VP Records artists