Freddie McKay

Freddie McKay (sometimes Freddy McKay) (1947 – 19 November 1986) was a Jamaican singer, whose career spanned the rocksteady and conscious spiritual roots reggae eras.

Biography McKay, born in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, is regarded as one of the most soulful singers to come out of Jamaica. McKay first recorded for producer Prince Buster in 1967, his first hit coming the same year with "Love Is A Treasure", recorded for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle set-up. McKay then enjoyed a fruitful spell with Coxsone Dodd, recording a number of popular songs for Studio One, such as Discomix vocal and dub " Love Is A Treasure", backed by The Soul Defenders, a band that included Bobby Kalphat and Joseph Hill of Culture, including "High School Dance", "Sweet You Sour You", and "Picture on the Wall", the latter the title track of his 1971 debut album. McKay enjoyed another hit in 1976 with "Dance This Ya Festival", which won the Jamaican Independence Popular Song Contest that year.

Discography Albums Picture On The Wall (1974 Bamboo Lonely Man (1974, Dragon UK / Dynamic Jamaica) (reissued 1996, Lagoon) Fire is Burning (1976, Amethyst Records) The Best Of Freddie McKay (1977, GG's) Creation (1979, Plant and Joe Gibbs) Harsh Words (1982 Gorgon) Tribal Inna Yard (1983, Move) I'm a Free Man (1988 Uptempo) Freddie McKay & Soul Defenders at Studio One (1991, Heartbeat) The Right Time Recordings (1997, GG's) (with Jah Stone) The Right Time (1999, Rhino) When You're Smiling (2002, Rhino) (Lonely Man + bonus tracks) Doin' It Right (2003, Charly)

Single Freddie McKay – "Dance Dis A Festival" – 1976 Carifest Winning Song