Reggae Singers

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With the origin of Reggae music in Jamaica, reggae singers came with two similar styles called ska and rocksteady. The singers often combined these two styles and sung in Jamaican patois which is a dialect of English. Reggae music was pioneered by Bob Marley and the Wailers and they also paved the way for many other famous reggae singers. As the years passed this music was influenced by American blues and jazz and the first reggae single was recorded by The Pioneers. Reggae singers often sing in lyrics which are not easily understood by Americans and British. They also usually sing about Rastafarianism which is a popular religion in Jamaica and uses Cannabis as a sacred religious substance. Reggae singers represented the youth and the rebellious rude and aggressive boys of Jamaica. These singers often voiced out the sentiments of young men who underwent violence and were unemployed. Soon becoming a global phenomenon, reggae singers no more stressed on the rude boys but the music is still considered to be rebellious. Many bands and singers have become famous since Bob Marley and have still kept the spirit of this music alive. Read more about famous reggae singers and their biographies. Also learn interesting facts and trivia about them from their life histories.
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 1 
Bob Marley
(Jamaican Singer, Musician and Songwriter Who is Considered One of the Pioneers of Reggae)
Bob Marley
6
Birthdate: February 6, 1945
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nine Mile, Jamaica
Died: April 11, 1981

Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who sold 20 million records in his career. He was the first international star to come from the ‘Third World’ and is considered one of the forerunners of reggae. A fusion of reggae, ska and rocksteady was his music’s hallmark. Marley died due to cancer at the age of 36.

 2 
Shaggy
(Reggae Musician & DJ With Hits Like 'It Wasn't Me'. 'Boombastic' and 'In The Summertime')
Shaggy
4
Birthdate: October 22, 1968
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica

Jamaican reggae singer Orville Richard Burrell, better known as Shaggy, has delivered international hits such as It Wasn't Me and In The Summertime. The two-time Grammy-winning artist was also bestowed with the Jamaican Order of Distinction. He was part of the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm.

 3 
Bradley Nowell
(Lead Singer and Guitarist Of the Ska Punk Band 'Sublime')
Bradley Nowell
3
Birthdate: February 22, 1968
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Long Beach, California, United States
Died: May 25, 1996
Bradley Nowell is best remembered as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the punk band Sublime. His dalmatian, Lou Dog, was the band’s mascot and often appeared on stage with the band. Nowell died of a heroin overdose, at 28, at a hotel in San Francisco, while touring with Sublime. 
 4 
Matisyahu
(Vocalist)
Matisyahu
3
Birthdate: June 30, 1979
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: West Chester, Pennsylvania

Grammy Award-nominated American Jewish singer Matisyahu is best known for mingling hip-hop and reggae with beatboxing. Known for tracks such as Chameleon, he has also stepped into acting of late, with roles such as that of Tzadok in the 2012 supernatural thriller The Possession. His work often reflects Jewish themes.

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 5 
Tash Sultana
(Known for the Hits ‘Notion’, ‘Gemini’ and ‘Synergy’)
Tash Sultana
3
Birthdate: June 15, 1995
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Tash Sultana soared to fame with her phenomenally successful single Jungle, which was first posted on YouTube and went viral on social media, gaining a million views in 5 days. The non-binary Australian singer uses the pronoun “they.” She also made it to the 2019 Forbes 30 under 30 list.

 6 
Vybz Kartel
(Songwriter)
Vybz Kartel
5
Birthdate: January 7, 1976
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kingston

Jamaican reggae/dancehall musician Vybz Kartel, also known as Worl' Boss, soared to fame with hits such as Romping Shop and Summer Time. In 2014, he was convicted of the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams and received a life sentence. However, he continues to release music from prison.

 7 
Stephen Marley
(Jamaican-American Musician and Son of Singer Bob Marley)
Stephen Marley
5
Birthdate: April 20, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wilmington, Delaware, United States

Stephen Marley is a Jamaican-American musician best known for his collaborations with his brothers Damian and Ziggy Marley. Stephen, the son of Bob Marley, is a multiple-time Grammy Award winner and a successful musician, both in the Jamaican and American music industry.

 8 
Spice
(Singer)
Spice
2
Birthdate: August 6, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Saint Catherine Parish

Grace Latoya Hamilton, better known by her stage name Spice, is a dancehall singer, songwriter, and recording artist. She is one of the world's most popular female dancehall artists and is dubbed the Queen of Dancehall. Also known for her philanthropic efforts, Spice established the Grace Hamilton Women Empowerment Foundation in 2018, in an attempt to uplift young women.

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 9 
Julian Marley
(Musician)
Julian Marley
3
Birthdate: June 4, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: London, England, UK
 10 
Eddy Grant
(Musician)
Eddy Grant
5
Birthdate: March 5, 1948
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Plaisance, British Guiana [now Guyana]
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 11 
Elettra Lamborghini
(Singer, Model)
Elettra Lamborghini
2
Birthdate: May 17, 1994
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bologna, Italy

Elettra Lamborghini began her career with TV reality shows such as Gran Hermano VIP and Super Shore. She later soared to fame with her chart-busting track Pem Pem, which was viewed over 4 million times in its debut week. Her track Tócame from Twerking Queen featured Grammy Award-winning rapper Pitbull.

 12 
Gregory Isaacs
(Known as The Cool Ruler, he sang hundreds of Jamaican dancehall classics like "My Only Lover")
Gregory Isaacs
5
Birthdate: July 15, 1951
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Died: October 25, 2010

Jamaican reggae musician Gregory Isaacs, also known as the Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover, soared to fame with the track Night Nurse. He excelled in both romantic ballads and socially relevant songs. He sold marijuana in his early days and had a lifelong drug problem. He was also once imprisoned for possessing firearms.

 13 
Cedella Booker
(Jamaican Reggae Singer and the mother of Reggae Musician ‘Bob Marley')
Cedella Booker
3
Birthdate: July 23, 1926
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica
Died: April 8, 2008

Cedella Booker was a Jamaican singer best remembered as the mother of Bob Marley. Booker is credited with conceiving and creating an annual music event, which came to be known as the 9 Mile Music Festival. While Marley helped popularize the festival, Cedella Booker helped spread the legend of Marley far and wide by authoring two books on her son.

 14 
Toots Hibbert
(Reggae Singer & the Lead Vocalist for the Reggae and Ska Band 'Toots and the Maytals')
Toots Hibbert
2
Birthdate: December 8, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: May Pen, Jamaica
Died: September 11, 2020

Toots Hibbert was a Jamaican singer-songwriter best remembered for his association with the musical group Toots and the Maytals where he was the lead vocalist. A pioneer of reggae music, Toots Hibbert helped establish the fundamentals of reggae over a course of his six decade-long career. His song Do the Reggay is credited as the origin of the name reggae.

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 15 
Dennis Brown
(Jamaican Reggae Singer)
Dennis Brown
2
Birthdate: February 1, 1957
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Died: July 1, 1999

Arguably the most popular Jamaican reggae singer of his time, Dennis Brown popularized what is now known as lovers rock. The Grammy-nominated singer started singing at age 9 and later soared to fame with tracks such as Africa. He had a lifelong struggle with drugs and of a lung collapse.

 16 
Millie Corretjer
(Puerto Rican Singer and Actress)
Millie Corretjer
3
Birthdate: April 18, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Millie Corretjer is a Puerto Rican actress and singer best known for her debut album Sola, which earned her a Lo Nuestro Award nomination for Best New Artist. The album housed popular songs that were featured on Billboard lists. Millie Corretjer and her music are well-known in several Latin American countries like Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, and Argentina.

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 17 
Burning Spear
(Jamaican Roots Reggae Singer-Songwriter, Vocalist and Musician)
Burning Spear
2
Birthdate: March 1, 1945
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: St. Ann Parish, Jamaica

Winston Rodney, better known as Burning Spear, is one of the most popular roots reggae singers from Jamaica. He has often depicted Rastafarianism in his works. Along with Rupert Willington, he soared to fame with the track Door Peep. The 2-time Grammy winner is best known for the album Calling Rastafari.

 18 
Nasri
(Singer, songwriter, and record producer.)
Nasri
1
Birthdate: January 10, 1981
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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 19 
Bounty Killer
(Singer)
Bounty Killer
2
Birthdate: June 12, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica

Bounty Killer is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae deejay. One of the most popular and aggressive dancehall deejays of the '90s, Bounty Killer is also widely regarded as one of the greatest dancehall lyricists. He is also well-known for his feuds with popular contemporaries like Beenie Man.

 20 
Teddy Afro
(Singer)
Teddy Afro
1
Birthdate: July 14, 1976
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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 21 
Stonebwoy
(Ghanaian Afropop, Dancehall and Reggae Musician)
Stonebwoy
2
Birthdate: March 5, 1988
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ashaiman, Ghana

Grammy-nominated Ghanaian musician Livingstone Etse Satekla is better known by his pseudonym Stonebwoy. A master of reggae and dance hall music in Africa, he began his career with hits such as Climax and Ghetto Love. He also became the first Ghanaian artist to find a place on a Billboard chart.

 22 
John Williamson
(Singer-songwriter)
John Williamson
1
Birthdate: November 1, 1945
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kerang, Australia

John Williamson is an Australian folk and country music singer-songwriter. A multi-talented individual, JOHN Williamson is also known for his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, conservationist, and television host. One of the most respected musicians in Australia, Williamson has released more than 50 albums and has won several awards. In 2010, he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

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 23 
Barrington Levy
(Reggae and dancehall artist)
Barrington Levy
2
Birthdate: April 30, 1964
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Clarendon, Jamaica

Barrington Levy is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist. He is best known for his 2015 album Acousticalevy, which earned him a Grammy Award nomination under the Best Reggae Album category in 2016. Over the course of his illustrious career, Barrington Levy has also collaborated with other popular artistes like Bounty Killer and Snoop Dogg.

 24 
Koffee
(Rapper)
Koffee
6
Birthdate: February 16, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Spanish Town, Jamaica

Koffee is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, deejay, rapper, and guitarist. She is best known for her 2019 extended play Rapture, which earned her the prestigious Grammy Award, making her the only woman and youngest person to receive the award under the Best Reggae Album category.

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 25 
Busy Signal
(Dancehall Reggae Artist)
Busy Signal
2
Birthdate: January 24, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: St. Ann Parish, Jamaica

Busy Signal is a Jamaican musician, songwriter, producer, and deejay. He has released several successful albums, such as Reggae Music Again and Parts of the Puzzle. Also an entrepreneur, Busy Signal announced his own clothing line in 2011. He made headlines the following year when he was arrested and extradited to the US where he faced cocaine-related charges.

 26 
Alton Ellis
(Jamaican Reggae Singer and Musician)
Alton Ellis
2
Birthdate: September 1, 1938
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica
Died: October 10, 2008

Alton Ellis was a Jamaican singer and songwriter best remembered as one of the innovators of a Jamaican music genre called rocksteady. Nicknamed the Godfather of Rocksteady, Alton Ellis was made an inductee of the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2006 for his contribution to Jamaican music.

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 27 
Paloma Mami
(Singer)
Paloma Mami
2
Birthdate: November 11, 1999
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States

Chilean-American singer Paloma Mami first gained fame with the reality show Rojo, el color del talento. She then became the first Chilean singer to seal a contract with Sony Music Latin. She has universal following, as she sings in both Spanish and English, and mingles Latin R&B with pop and trap.

 28 
Max Romeo
(Reggae and roots reggae recording musician)
Max Romeo
2
Birthdate: November 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: St. Ann Parish, Jamaica

Max Romeo is a Jamaican reggae recording artist whose songs have been featured on several music charts in the United Kingdom and in his home country. In 1968, Max Romeo released his single Wet Dream, which gave rise to a new style of reggae.

 29 
Flex
(Singer Songwriter)
Flex
1
Birthdate: August 29, 1980
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
 30 
Jose Chameleone
(Ugandan AfroBeat artist and musician)
Jose Chameleone
0
Birthdate: April 30, 1979
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Uganda
 31 
Bebe Cool
(Singer)
Bebe Cool
0
Birthdate: September 1, 1977
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kampala, Uganda
 32 
Rayvon
(Singer)
Rayvon
0
Birthdate: January 18, 1968
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Barbados
 33 
Richie Campbell
(Singers, Songwriter)
Richie Campbell
1
Birthdate: November 25, 1986
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Caxias, Portugal
 34 
Detsl
(Singer)
Detsl
1
Birthdate: July 22, 1983
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Moscow, Russian
Died: February 3, 2019
 35 
Smiley
(Reggae artist)
Smiley
2
Birthdate: December 18, 1980
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Aruba
 36 
Bubbi Morthens
(Icelandic Singer-Songwriter Who Has Been Part of Bands Such as Utangarðsmenn and Egó)
Bubbi Morthens
1
Birthdate: June 6, 1956
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Reykjavík, Iceland

Icelandic singer-songwriter Bubbi Morthens was 14 when he left school and began travelling as a migrant fish worker and experimenting with his guitar. While he has been part of bands such as Utangarðsmenn and Egó, he has also had a tough battle with drug addiction earlier and later advocated addiction prevention.

 37 
Lucius Banda
(Politician, Singer-songwriter)
Lucius Banda
0
Birthdate: August 17, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Malawi
 38 
J. Perry
(Singer)
J. Perry
3
Birthdate: June 4, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
 39 
Marlon Asher
(Singer)
Marlon Asher
1
Birthplace: Enterprise, Trinidad and Tobago
 40 
Bigga Haitian
(Singer, Musician)
Bigga Haitian
1
Birthdate: November 4, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Bigga Haitian is a Haitian singer and musician who achieved popularity in the 1990s. He is best known for successfully breaking into the Jamaican reggae scene and paving the way for several young and aspiring Haitian artists. Some of the most talented Haitian artists like Mecca aka Grimo and Wyclef Jean credit Bigga Haitian as a major influence.

 41 
Junior Delgado
(Jamaican Reggae Singer)
Junior Delgado
0
Birthdate: August 25, 1958
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Died: April 11, 2005

Junior Delgado was a reggae singer best remembered for his roots style, a subgenre of reggae. He achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s with the release of hit albums like Dance a Dub and Taste of the Young Heart. He was also imprisoned for 18 months in the 1980s for a drug-related offence. Junior Delgado died at age 46.

 42 
Admiral T
(Singer)
Admiral T
0
Birthdate: March 29, 1981
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Les Abymes, Guadeloupe
 43 
Dobby Dobson
(Singer)
Dobby Dobson
6
Birthdate: July 5, 1942
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Died: July 21, 2020

Dobby Dobson was a Jamaican record producer and singer whose contribution to reggae music earned him the prestigious Order of Distinction from the Governor-General of Jamaica in 2011. Dobby Dobson was also featured in a 2009 documentary titled Dobby Dobson: An Interview with Jamaica's Music Ambassador.

 44 
Eyob Mekonnen
(Singer)
Eyob Mekonnen
0
Birthdate: October 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Jijiga, Ethiopia
Died: August 18, 2013
 45 
King Mensah
(The Golden Voice of Togo)
King Mensah
1
Birthdate: August 12, 1971
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Togo
 46 
Natural Black
(Reggae singer)
Natural Black
1
Birthdate: March 16, 1975
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Georgetown, Guyana
 47 
Gito Baloi
(Musician, Singer)
Gito Baloi
0
Birthdate: September 30, 1964
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Matola, Mozambique
Died: April 4, 2004
 48 
Dicko Fils
(Singer, Kamale n'goni player)
Dicko Fils
0
Birthdate: 1975 AD
Birthplace: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
 49 
Wally Warning
(He put his singing career on hold while he played bass guitar in touring bands with Sam & Dave and Lightnin' Hopkins)
Wally Warning
0
Birthplace: Aruba
 50 
Imilo Lechanceux
(Singer)
Imilo Lechanceux
0
Birthdate: September 20, 1988
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tiassalé, Ivory Coast