Eric Donaldson
Eric Donaldson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 June 1947 Bog Walk, Jamaica |
| Origin | Saint Catherine, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Instruments | Vocalist and songwriter |
| Years active | 1964–present |
Eric Donaldson (born 11 June 1947 in Bog Walk, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter.[1] He originated in Saint Catherine, Jamaica.
Biography
[edit | edit source]Born in Kent Village, about two miles from Bog Walk, Donaldson first recorded for Studio One in 1964, although producer Clement Dodd declined to release the material.[2][3] In the mid-1960s he formed The West Indians with Leslie Burke and Hector Brooks, and they had a hit with the J.J. Johnson-produced "Right On Time" in 1968, going on to record with Lee "Scratch" Perry and subsequently changing their name to the Kilowatts, but without further success.[2][3]
Donaldson then pursued a solo career, and submitted "Cherry Oh Baby" to the 1971 Jamaican Festival Song Competition, going on to win the competition and giving him a big Jamaican hit single.[2] Donaldson has won the competition six times, in 1971, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1993 and 1997.[4] "Cherry Oh Baby" has been covered by both The Rolling Stones (on their 1976 album, Black and Blue) and UB40 (on their 1983 album, Labour of Love).[2] The riddim has remained extremely popular – over 30 cover versions have been recorded, including an update by Donaldson himself.[1] Two of his festival winners ("Sweet Jamaica" (1977) and "Land of My Birth" (1978)) were written by Winston Wallace.[5] In an online poll held in 2013 by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, "Land of My Birth" was voted the most popular winner in the contest's history.[6]
Donaldson currently lives in Kent Village, Jamaica.[2]
Discography
[edit | edit source]Albums
[edit | edit source]- Eric Donaldson (1971), Jaguar – reissued with bonus tracks as Love of the Common People
- Keep on Riding (1976), Dynamic Sounds
- Kent Village (1978), Dynamic Sounds
- Juan De Bolas (1980), Dynamic Sounds – also released as Stand Up
- Rock Me Gentle (1981), Serengeti
- Come Away (1982), Dynamic Sounds
- Right On Time (1985), Dynamic Sounds
- Rocky Road (1986), Capitol Records and EMI Nigeria.
- The System (1985), WEA – reissued as Children of Jah
- Crazy You Crazy Me (1988)
- Trouble in Afrika (1991)
- Blackman Victory (1993) – reissued with bonus tracks as Beautiful Day
- Peace and Love (1998), Joe Gibbs – reissued as Young and Reckless
- In Action (2000), Roots & Culture – with Sil Bell & Keith Coley
- Mr. Pirate (2004), Ice – reissued as 100% of Love
Compilation albums
[edit | edit source]- Cherry Oh Baby (1997), Trojan
- The Very Best of Eric Donaldson (1992), Rhino
- Very Best of Eric Donaldson (1998), Musicrama
- Oh What a Feeling (1998), Rhino
- Beautiful Day (1999)
- Freedom Street (1999), Rhino
- Super Medley Hits (2000), T.P.
- Greetings (2001), Rhino
- The Very Best of Eric Donaldson Vol.1 (2002), Rhino
- Anthology (2003), Creole
- Cherry Oh Baby (2003), Smith & Co
- Eric Donaldson Sings 20 Jamaica Classics (2004)
- Cherry Oh Baby (The Best Of) (2006), Trojan
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c d e Prato, Greg "Eric Donaldson Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved 6 August 2014
- ^ a b Alleyne, Mike (2012) The Encyclopedia of Reggae, Sterling, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., p. 70
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Campbell, Howard (2014) "Winston Wallace's Land of My Birth", Jamaica Observer, 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014
- ^ "Eric Donaldson tops festival poll Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 5 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014
External links
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