Headley Bennett

Felix Headley Bennett OD (29 May 1931 – 21 August 2016), also known as Deadly Headley, was a prolific Jamaican saxophonist who performed on hundreds, possibly thousands, of recordings since the 1950s.

Biography Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Bennett attended the Alpha Boys School from the age of five, where he learned to play the saxophone. He left Alpha aged fifteen.

In 1962, as a member of The Sheiks, he performed at Palisadoes Airport to greet Princess Margaret on her visit to the island to mark Jamaica's independence.

In the ska era of the late 1950s and 1960s, Headley Bennett played on many recordings for a variety of studios including Bob Marley's first recording, "Judge Not", for Leslie Kong, and Derrick & Patsy Todd's "Housewives Choice". Headley also played on The Wailers' Dancing Shoes, Delroy Wilson's Dancing Mood and Sound Dimension's Full Up, later versioned by Freddie McGregor as Africa Here I Come.

Prince Buster claimed Bennett's solo in Derrick Morgan's song "Forward March" was stolen from Lester Sterling's solo in Buster's own track "They Got to Come", leading to a feud between Buster and Morgan. In 1967, he recorded with Bob Andy, releasing the conscious rocksteady tune, I've Got To Go Back Home, and then in 1969, he recorded a version of Slim Smith's Everybody Needs Love, with the 'a' side entitled Sun Valley and attributed to Peter Tosh, with Headley's 'b' side entitled The Drums of Fu Manchu.

He went on to record with The Abyssinians, Soul Syndicate, Lloyd Parks' Skin Flesh and Bones and We the People Band, The Professionals, Alton Ellis, Ja-Man Allstars and Prince Far I, notably on Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter IV, which versioned tunes from Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus Revelation album, amongst many others. thereby introducing Headley Bennett’s work to new generations of listeners worldwide, and in 2005, aged 74, Bennett was awarded the prestigious Order of Distinction in the esteemed rank of Officer for his contribution to the development of music by the Jamaican government.

He was revealed to be in financial difficulties in 2013, suffering from back and prostate problems due to mounting medical bills.

Bennet died on 21 August 2016, having recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Album discography Deadly Headly Bennett Meets The Magnificent Ossie Scott (197?), Carl's/Gorgon – with Ossie Scott 35 Years From Alpha (1982), On-U Sound Victory (2001), Sonic Sounds produced by Headley Bennett, co-produced by Danny Thompson. Starring Deadley Headley, Danny Thompson and Pam Hall. songs include; I'm Still in Love, Victory, Latin Goes Ska, Dancing Mood, Jam Rock, Movie Star, Garden of Love, Roof, Green Green Grass, Rain From the Sky, Red Red Wine, Rocket Ship, Swing Easy and Jackson.