Norris Reid – Entrance To Jah World (19XX – 2020)

by Feb 28, 2020Articles, Obituary

Norris Reid
Artist Info
Norris Reid 19xx-2020

Career: Vocalist with The Blenders |Vocalist with The Viceroys | Vocalist with The SWAMMP Band | Solo Artist

Selective Discography

Solo:

  • Roots And Vine (Message)
  • Give Jah The Praises (Rockers International)
  • Rockers International Throwback (Sound of Thunder)
  • The Kingston Sessions 1979-1985 (Only Roots)

With The Viceroys:

  • We Must Unite (Trojan Records)
  • Brethren And Sistren (CSA Records)

Sad news for Reggae fans worldwide. After the passing of Wesley Tinglin in 2018 and Neville Ingram in 2019, the third and last member of the ’80s line-up of the mighty Viceroys, Norris Reid, has died on Friday 28th February 2020. Rest peacefully in Zion Ites…

NORRIS REID – ENTRANCE TO JAH WORLD  19xx – 2020

Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, Norris Reid built stereo cases before he started his professional music career in 1975 when he recorded his debut single “I Know”, often also credited to a group called The Blenders. It was followed by a next single titled “Poverty” on Errol Cuffe’s The Ram label an another single called “Got To Return”. Besides singing and recording he also worked as graphic designer, drawing record labels and flyers for sound systems. It was Carlton Hines, member of the vocal group Tetrack, who introduced him to Augustus Pablo, which then led to recording the deep roots single “Give Jah the Praise” across a remake of the Abyssinians’ legendary “Satta Massagana” riddim. He did some backing vocals for Hugh Mundell’s album “Time & Place” set and also worked with Delroy Williams as backing vocalist on two tracks of the album “I Stand Black”.

Norris Reid joined The Viceroys’ Neville Ingram and Wesley Tinglin in 1980, when Daniel Bernard had left the group. That year they had a big hit in Jamaica with the Sly & Robbie produced “Heart Made Of Stone”. With Linval Thompson they worked on the album “We Must Unite”, which was recorded at Channel One with the Roots Radics being the backing band. The combination of their rural, rootsy harmonies with Linval Thompson’s heavy-duty production attracted a great deal of attention. This successful formula was repeated for their biggest-selling album, the 1983 released “Brethren And Sistren”.

Then Norris Reid left The Viceroys and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1985. Two years later his Augustus Pablo produced solo LP “Roots & Vine” was released on the Message imprint. This set collected material at Channel One and Tuff Gong recorded in 1980 and the following years. In 1996 his LP “Give Jah The Praises” was released, another superb collection of the underrated roots singer’s work for Augustus Pablo. 2015 saw the release of his album “Rockers International Throwback”, which was recorded in France in 2014 at Roots Vibes Studio with the French band The Sons of Africa.