Biography.guide
Home › People › Singer › Toyan
Portrait of Toyan

Toyan

1950 – 1991

Jamaican musician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Toyan

Lived 1950 – 1991 (aged 40–41). Toyan was a Jamaican singer.

Toyan aka Ranking Toyan (born Byron Everton Letts, died 1991) was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.

Biography Toyan began his career in 1974, deejaying on Kingston's sound systems, such as Socialist Roots and Romantic HiFi. He recorded his debut single, "Disco Pants" in the late 1970s for producer Don Mais. He went on to work extensively with Joseph Hoo Kim and Jah Thomas, resulting in a string of hits including "Girls Nowadays", "Kill No Man", "John Tom", and "Talk of the Town", as well as combination hits with The Mighty Diamonds ("Pretty Woman"), Badoo ("Rocking the 5000"), and Freddie McGregor ("Roots Man Skanking").

Albums How The West Was Won (1981) Greensleeves Toyan (1982) J&L Superstar Yellowman Has Arrived With Toyan (1982) Joe Gibbs (with Yellowman) DJ Clash (1982) Volcano/Greensleeves (with Nicodemus) Spar With Me (1982) Jah Guidance Ghetto Man Skank (1983) Silver Camel DJ Daddy (1983) Upfront Nice Time (1983) Jam Rock/Pre (with Triston Palma) Every Posse Want Me (1983) Live & Learn Murder (1983) Vista Sounds (with Tipper Lee & Johnny Slaughter) Hot Bubble Gum (1984) Power House Early Days Roots Tradition

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1950
Birth century
Died
1991
Occupation
Nationality

People in Toyan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Toyan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Toyan?

Jamaican musician

When was Toyan born?

Toyan was born in 1950.

When did Toyan die?

Toyan died in 1991.

What was Toyan's occupation?

Toyan was a singer.

What nationality was Toyan?

Toyan was Jamaican.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Toyan

· Wikidata: Q3536026

· DBpedia: Toyan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Toyan. https://biography.guide/toyan/

MLA: "Toyan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/toyan/.

Chicago: "Toyan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/toyan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:00 UTC