George Faith

Earl George Lawrence (6 July 1946 – 16 April 2003), also known as George Faith, Earl George and George Earl, was a Jamaican reggae singer best known for his work in the 1970s with producers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry and Bunny Lee.

Biography Born in Rae Town, Lawrence was the son of a barber and a factory cook. His singing talent was first noted as a member of the school choir. He made his recording debut in 1970 with "See Me," produced by Clancy Eccles.

Lawrence recorded eight tracks with Perry, all covers of American soul and pop hits, at the Black Ark studio. These recordings took around eight months, which prompted Perry to suggest a stage name for George, telling him "You have a lot of faith. You should change your name to George Faith". Lawrence was also due to go on a tour that Perry was arranging with Island Records, but the plans were shelved in the midst of the erratic behaviour of Perry that would eventually lead to the destruction of the Black Ark.

Also in 1978, Lawrence recorded an album with Phil Pratt, One & Only, credited to "Earl George" and issued on the Trojan Records subsidiary Burning Sounds. He also recorded for Alvin Ranglin, these tracks issued in 1979 as the album Loving Something. He then recorded an album for Bunny Lee, Soulful, which took a similar approach to his first album and featured new versions of "To Be a Lover" and "Turn Back The Hands of Time". He again worked with Ranglin in the early 1980s on the Since I Met You Baby album. After living in Canada for a few years, he returned to the Jamaican recording scene in 1986, and released another album, Sings For Lovers Only in 1987.

Lawrence died in 2003 from cancer, at the age of 56.

Discography Albums Super Eight (1977) Black Art, also issued as To Be a Lover (1978) Island/Black Swan One & Only (1978) Burning Sounds Soulful (1979) Hollywood Loving Something (1979) GG's Since I Met You Baby (1982) GG's Happy Anniversary (1986) Sings for Lovers Only (1987) Nighthawk Just the Blues (1993) Studio One Rock for Lovers (1998) Nyam Up Reggae Got Soul (1999) Charly Reggae's Love & Affection (2002) Clocktower Together Forever (1999), Joe Frasier – Marie Baines & George Faith Straight to the Heart (2006), EAD

Singles

"See Me" (1970) "Green Hills, I Won't Cry" (1973) "Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got" (1973) "To Be a Lover" (1974) ""Soulful Lover" (197?) "Since I Met You Baby" (197?) "Island in the Sun" (197?) "Love Is Something" (197?) "So Many Ways" (197?) "Love Depression" (197?) "To Be a Lover (Have Mercy)" (1977) Island/Black Swan "Midnight Hour" (1977) island/Black Swan "All the Love I've Got" (1977) Island/Black Swan "I've Got the Groove" (1978) Island/Black Swan "Opportunity" (1978) Island "Guideline" (1978) "Don't Be Afraid" (1978) Upsetter "So Many Ways" (1978) Sunshot "Don't Be Afraid" (Discomix) (1979) Warrior "I Would Be Telling You a Lie" (1979) GG's "Sam Stone" (1979) GG's "Gipsy Woman" "I'm So Glad" (1979) Black & White "Follow Jah" (1979) Justice "What to Do" (1980) Paradise... "Give Me Music" (1981) Nura "Stealing Love" GG's "Say You Say Me" Top Rank "Old Fashioned Love" (1984) "Ordinary Girl" (1988) Pickout "Loving Someone" (1988) "Need to Belong to Someone" (1988) Bunny Lee "On My Own" Joe Frasier (with Marie Baines) "The End of the World" Studio One "Ask Her" Arrows "Lavender Blue" (1996)