Earl Zero Birth name Earl Anthony Johnson Born 1953 Origin Kingston, Jamaica Genres Reggae Instruments Vocals Years active Early 1970s–present Associated acts Soul Syndicate Earl Anthony Johnson (born 1953), better known as Earl Zero, is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the 1970s. He is the uncle of Toronto rapper Raz Fresco. History Born 1953 in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Johnson was the eldest of ten children, his father a fisherman and his mother a fishmonger.[1] Zero began his career in the 1970s, first as a member of the group Rush-It with his childhood friend Earl Chinna Smith, who recorded for producer Bunny Lee, who gave him the name Earl Zero to distinguish him from Smith.[2][3] His recording of his song None Shall Escape the Judgement went unreleased but it was a hit for Johnny Clarke when recorded by the singer in 1974,[4] and Zero first had success as a singer himself with the Al Campbell-produced Righteous Works in 1975.[3] He recorded for Don Mais Roots Tradition label (recording Home Sweet Home and I No Lie),[1] and joined Tommy Cowans Talent Corporation roster, and had further success with Please Officer and City of the Weak Heart, released on Cowans Arab label,[4] the latter also recorded by Jacob Miller on his Killer Miller album.[3] In 1976 he moved on to work with Bertram Brown, recording Get Happy, and again recorded with Campbell on Heart Desire.[3] He continued recording through the late 1970s, recording with Soul Syndicate.[3] His first two albums, Visions of Love and In the Right Way, were released in 1979.[1] In 1979 he relocated to northern California, and continued to record since, with several albums released.[5] His latest album is Marketplace, to be released in Spring 2011 with producer Siahvash Dowlatshahi. The album features members of the Roots Radics, The Greyboy Allstars, The Devastators and others. Discography Visions of Love (1979), Epiphany In the Right Way aka Only Jah Can Ease the Pressure (1979), Freedom Sounds/Student Roots & Romance (2007) And God Said to Man (2009), A-Lone Marketplace (2011), Foreign Key Records References Greene, Jo-Ann Earl Zero Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-02 Katz, David (2003) Solid Foundation: an Oral History of Reggae, Bloomsbury, ISBN 0-7475-6847-2, p. 140, 211 Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 324 Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn., Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p. 186 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 98 External links Official website Earl Zero at Roots Archives [1] Foreign Key Records
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:52:49 +0000
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