Sound system owner, producer, singer, political activist and all round superstar of the Jamaican 1960's. Innovator in all things ska and rocksteady. One of the first Jamaican musicians to have hits in the U.K.
Born Cecil Campbell in 1938 in Kingston Jamaica, his talents were first put to use as a bouncer/strong arm man for Jamaican record producer Coxsone Dodd's Down Beat Sound System. (Sound systems were essentially mobile DJ units with massive amplification power. They gave poor people access to records they couldn't afford to own).
Prince Buster churned out over 600 songs on Blue Beat records between 1962 and 1967.
During the early 60's Prince Buster was one of the top singers in Jamaica, becoming increasingly popular in the U.K. Hits like "Madness," "Al Capone," and "One Step Beyond," inspired wild devotion in the mod movement in Britain. Ska revivalists Madness named themselves after a Prince Buster track.
"True ska is music with a soul." -- Liner notes of The Prophet
Material courtesy: bbc.co.uk, icebergradio.com, mp3.com, and snwmf.com
