Judge Dread

Alexander Minto Hughes (2 May 1945 – 13 March 1998), better known as Judge Dread, was an English reggae and ska musician. He was the first white recording artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica,

Early life Hughes was born on 2 May 1945. He was introduced to Jamaican music when he lodged as a teenager in a West Indian household in Brixton, South West London. Hughes, a heavy-set man, met Jamaican artists Derrick Morgan and Prince Buster through his job as a bouncer at London nightclubs such as the Ram Jam in Brixton; and through another job as a bodyguard. After working as a professional wrestler (under the name "The Masked Executioner") and as a debt collector for Trojan Records, he worked as a DJ on local radio.

Music career When Prince Buster had an underground hit in 1969 with "Big 5", Hughes capitalized on it with the recording of his own "Big Six", based on Verne & Son's "Little Boy Blue", which was picked up by Trojan boss Lee Gopthal, and released on Trojan's 'Big Shot' record label under the stage name Judge Dread, the name taken from another of Prince Buster's songs. There is a road in the town of Snodland named after him, Alex Hughes Close.

Judge Dread was also a songwriter, coming to the attention of Elvis Presley, who had planned to record "A Child's Prayer" as a Christmas gift to his daughter Lisa Marie in 1977, but died before the scheduled recording date. Jamaica Jerk (Off) Bring Back The Skins End of the World Big Everything 31

The Big One Big Six Big Seven Big Eight —

Singles Year A-side B-side UK 1972 "Big Six" "One Armed Bandit" 11 1972 "Big Seven" "Dread" 8 1973 "Big Eight" "Mind the Doors" 14 1973 "Big One" "Oh! She Is a Big Girl Now" — 1973 "Molly" "Dr. Kitch" — 1974 "Big Nine" "Nine and a Bit Skank" — 1974 "Grandad's Flanalette Nightshirt" "Dance of the Snods" — 1974 "(Hey There) Lonely Girl" "Grass-Hopper" — 1975 "Je t'aime... moi non-plus" "Look a Pussy" 9 1975 "Big Ten" "What Kung Fu Dat" 14 1975 "Christmas in Dreadland" "Come Outside" 14 1976 "The Winkle Man" "Rudeness Train" 35 1976 "Y Viva Suspenders" "Confessions of a Bouncer" 27 1978 "Up With the Cock!" "Big Punk" 49 1978 "Dread Rock" "This Little Piece of Dinkle" — 1978 "The Hokey Cokey" "Jingle Bells" 64 1979 "The Touch" "Going Down" — 1979 "Lover's Rock" "Ska Fever" — 1980 "Will I What?" "Last Tango in Snodland" — 1981 "Hello Baby" "One-Eyed Lodger" — 1981 "Rub-a-Dub" "The Dread Stakes" — 1982 "My Name's Dick" "The World Is Burning" — 1983 "The Ten Commandments" "Give It Up Michael" — 1983 "Not Guilty" "Merry Christmas Mr. Dread" — 1984 "Relax" "It's a Foolish Way" 76 1985 "Lost in Rudeness" "Blow Your Whistle" — 1985 "Big Seven '85" "King Dong" — 1987 "Jerk Your Body" "Bring Back the Skins" — 1996 "The Ballad of Judge Dread" "On the Beach (Rude Mix)" — "—" denotes releases that did not chart.