Brigadier Jerry
Brigadier Jerry (b. Robert Russell Kinston on 28th of September, 1957 in Kingston) was the 11th of 15 siblings. His younger sister was also the famed deejay Sister Nancy. Jerry started his career in show business by trying to make it as a stand up comedian in his late teens. He soon enough settled around and started to work with sound systems instead. He took his first deejay steps on the sound Emperor Marcus where Jah Bull put him on the microphone for the first time. He then chatted for U-Roy's legendary King Sturgav in the early 70's and soon moved on to Twelve Tribes of Israel sound Jah Love Muzik. In '83 to '84 he became a regular for Jah Love Muzik. His style was inspired by the deejays U-Roy, Big Youth, Prince Jazzbo and Dennis Alcapone.
The Jerry part of his name came from resembling his father (Mr. Jerry) so much. Brigadier was taken in tradition with other names like Ranking, General and so forth. He was before this known as Johnny Reds.
When deejaying on Jah Love Muzik tapes of the sessions started circulating that manifested Briggy (as he also is referred to) as a top deejay to count on - and the dances he featured started where to be packed houses. Still it would take until the late 70's when he first debuted on disc - Briggy being a vastly under recorded deejay all the way through his career. He recorded several tracks for Studio One and also on several local singles with other Twelve Tribes members. In 1982 he cut a version of Slim Smiths classic rhythm Never Let Go - the song, »Pain«, was released on Jwyanza and was probably Briggys greatest hit as it reached to the top of the Jamaican charts. More singles followed and in 1984 he had yet another hit with »Jamaica, Jamaica« (released on Jah Love Muzik's own label).
He met Sister Carol in New York, 1983, where he mentored her on how to deejay. He also deejayed on nearly every prominent sound of Jamaica during these years. In 1983 the first vinyl headlining Briggy was released - a semi-official live album Live at the Controls. In 1985 he had his first proper debut LP released with the album Jamaica, Jamaica on RAS.
During the years 1988-1991 he relocated to New York. He released his sophomore album in 1990 with On The Road. 1992 Briggy was back in Jamaica where he revived the Jah Love Muzik sound system. His third album followed, Hail Him, produced by Tapper Zukie. A collection of Briggys music was released on VP in 1995 - Freedom Street. In 1995 U-Roy reactivated his sound Sturgav, which Jerry joined up as a regular and has since then toured exclusively with it around the world.
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