Delroy Wilson

Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child star, having first found success as a teenager. His youngest son, Karl "Konan" Wilson, has found success as part of British duo Krept and Konan.

Biography Delroy Wilson began his recording career at the age of 13, while still a pupil at Boys Town Primary School. Wilson released his first single "Emy Lou" in 1962 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. His early years with Coxsone yielded a number of ska hits, the biggest of which, the Lee Perry-written "Joe Lies" was an attack on rival producer and former Dodd employee Prince Buster.

Wilson toured the UK and recorded for Trojan Records in 1970. Wilson also released the social consciousness Gussie Clarke production,"Love Love Love", and Winston "Niney" Holness' "Rascal Man", a righteous Carlton Barrett one drop rhythm chastising false Rastaman. These were followed by Harry J's soulful "Ask The Lonely", and Joseph Hoo Kim's version of a Stevie Wonder composition, the original soul tune,"It's a Shame".

In 1976, Wilson recorded a cover of The Wailers' "I'm Still Waiting" for Lloyd Charmers, which was hugely popular, and enjoyed some cross-over success, and was followed by the album Sarge, which is considered one of his strongest.

Wilson continued to be successful until the end of the decade, but his career floundered during the early 1980s, with releases less common. thus satisfying his older followers and confirming new listeners. “Tune In” was a sparse digital dancehall affair, put together by Philip "Fatis" Burrell who was, at the time of working with Wilson in the mid 80s, an up and coming Jamaican record producer, who later found significant success with the prolific Xterminator record label, proving to be one of the most successful and influential producers of the digital reggae era, inspiring new perspectives on, and visions of future creative possibilities for digital roots reggae and digital dub music.

New albums followed, but Wilson again drifted out of the limelight, with his health declining, and is best remembered for his earlier work.

Wilson was lionised by The Clash in their 1978 track punk rock garage band reggae fusion, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" with the lines Delroy Wilson, you're a cool operator.

Delroy Wilson died at the age of 46 on 6 March 1995 at Kingston's UWI hospital, of complications from cirrhosis.

In 2015 Wilson's childhood friend Everard "Jah Ruby" Metcalf released the album The Delroy Wilson Story, featuring 21 cover versions of Wilson's songs.

Albums I Shall Not Remove (1966) Studio One Good All Over (1969) Coxsone/Studio One Better Must Come (1971) Dynamic Sounds Captivity (1973) Big Shot For I And I (1975) Grounation Sarge (1976) Charmers Last Thing on My Mind (1977) Harry J Money (1977) Clocktower Mr. Cool Operator (1977) EJI Lovers' Rock (1978) Burning Sounds Who Done It (1979) Third World True Believer in Love (197?) Carib Gems True Believer in Love (197?) Micron Unedited (197?) Hulk Living in the Footsteps (1980) Joe Gibbs Go Away Dream (1982) Black Music Nice Times (1983) Vista Sounds Reggae Classics (1984) Londisc Worth Your Weight in Gold (1984) Burning Sounds The Dean of Reggae (1985) Mister Tipsy Looking For Love (1986) Phill Pratt Million Busters in Reggae (198?) Top Rank Super Mix Hits (198?) Pioneer International Dancing Mood Studio One Oldies But Goodies Pioneer International (with Owen Gray) Now (19??), Real Wax Wilson's work has also been collected on over 15 'Best of' compilations and he features on dozens of compilations of reggae and ska music.