Junior Murvin

Junior Murvin (born Murvin Junior Smith, circa 1946 – 2 December 2013) was a Jamaican reggae musician. He is best known for the single "Police and Thieves", produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry in 1976.

Early life He was born in Saint James Parish, Jamaica, probably in 1946 though some sources state 1949, and moved to Port Antonio after his father's death. He began singing as a child, influenced particularly by Curtis Mayfield, and began performing in public after his family moved to Montego Bay. He studied mechanics at the Montego Bay Technical High School, and then moved to Trenchtown in Kingston, where he lived with his aunt and auditioned unsuccessfully for Lee Perry and Coxsone Dodd. He also performed as a member of the Hippy Boys, and later the Mighty Falcons and the Tornadoes, in Kingston's nightclubs and tourist hotels.

In 1976, he auditioned again for Perry with his own song, "Police and Thieves". Murvin and Perry co-wrote more songs together and completed an album for Island Records, Police and Thieves, released in 1977 and regarded as one of Perry's best productions.

Murvin continued to record through the 1980s, but his singles had less success. The American musician and animator Bill Wurtz, referenced Murvin in his 2014 song, "Hey Jodie Foster".

His song “Cool Out Son” was featured on the soundtrack of Skate 3.

Death Murvin died on 2 December 2013, in a hospital in Port Antonio.