Prince Buster | Artist

Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD aka Prince Buster aka Judge Dread was a Jamaican Ska/Rocksteady singer-songwriter and producer born 1938 in Kingston Jamaica. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary music and created a legacy of work that would be drawn upon later by blue-beat, reggae and ska artists. As a boy Campbell attended the famous St Anne's school where he was introduced to music, along with his family's church choir involvement. Campbell became more actively involved in the operational side of running a sound system after he was introduced to Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd who operated one of Kingston's most popular sound systems. In 1961, Campbell released his first single "Little Honey"/"Luke Lane Shuffle" featuring Jah Jerry, Drumbago and Rico Rodriquez, recording under the name of Buster's Group. In that same year, he produced "Oh Carolina" by the Folkes Brothers which was released on his Wild Bells label. Campbell recorded prolifically throughout the 1960s; notable early ska releases include: "Madness", "Wash Wash", "One Step Beyond" and "Al Capone". Campbell's music was hugely influential on the UK mods in the '60s and the ska revival in the late '70s, being championed by labels such as 2-Tone and bands The Specials, Madness and The Selecter. In terms of recorded output, Campbell performed and/or produced 13 albums and almost 100 singles, including work as 'Prince Buster', 'Judge Dread' and collaborations with groups such as The Maytals. Standout albums include I Feel The Spirit (1963), Judge Dread Featuring Prince Buster (1967), Sings His Hit Song Ten Commandments (1967), The Outlaw (1969), Dance Cleopatra Dance (1972), The Message Dub Wise (1972), and the excellent Singles compilation Fabulous Greatest Hits (1968). In 1964 Campbell met World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali who invited him to attend a Nation of Islam talk in Miami. That year Campbell joined the Nation of Islam and also started to release material, including a version of Louis X's "White Man's Heaven is a Black Man's Hell" on his own imprint label called "Islam". Campbell's stage name 'Judge Dread' was also copied by a UK skinhead ska group, but they are unrelated.

Artist Website: wikipedia/Prince_Buster

Featured Albums: Prince Buster

Related Artists: Ernest Ranglin, Rico Rodriguez, The Specials, Madness

Video Clips: Madness, Ska - Swinging London, One Step Beyond