Little John (musician)

John McMorris (born 1970), better known as Little John, is a Jamaican dancehall musician best known for his 1980s recordings.

Little John
Birth nameJohn McMorris
Born1970
OriginKingston, Jamaica
GenresReggae, dancehall
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years activeLate 1970s–present

History

Born 1970 in Kingston, Jamaica,[1] Little John was so called as he began performing and recording at the age of nine.[2] He first recorded for Captain Sinbad's Youth in Progress label (including debut single "51 Storm"), and is regarded by some as the first dancehall singer, known for his ability to create lyrics over any backing track.[2] After getting his break with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion organisation, he performed with sound systems such as Romantic Hi Fi, Kilimanjaro, Gemini, and Henry "Junjo" Lawes' Volcano Hi Power.[2][3] He recorded for many producers in the 1980s, notably for Lawes, Joseph Hoo Kim, George Phang, Jah Thomas, and King Jammy.[2]

He continued to record in the 1990s including the Winston Holness-produced Boombastic (1990),[4] and in the 21st century released the album Build Back Yard (2006). He also continued to perform live, including paying tribute to the late Sugar Minott at Reggae Sumfest in 2010.[5]

Discography
  • Janet Sinclair (single, 1982), Greensleeves – with Billy Boyo
  • Reggae Dance (1982), Midnight Rock
  • Showdown vol. 1 (1984), Empire/Hitbound – with Barry Brown
  • English Woman (1983), Gorgon
  • Ghetto Youth (1983), Jah Guidance – reissued (1990), RAS
  • Give the Youth a Try (1983), Live & Learn
  • Show Case 83 (1983), EAD
  • Showdown vol. 6 (1984), Hitbound – with Frankie Paul
  • True Confession (1984), Power House
  • Unite (1984), Vista Sounds
  • Clarks Booty (1985), Live & Love
  • River to the Bank (1985), Power House
  • The Best of Little John (1985), RM
  • Worries and Trouble (1985), Black Scorpio
  • Rubber Dub One (1986), C&E
  • Youth of Today (1986), Skengdon
  • Dance Hall Clash (1986), Sunset – with Uglyman
  • Warriors & Trouble (1986), World Enterprise
  • Showcase Volume 1 (198?), Sir Tommy's – with Trevor Junior
  • Boombastic (1990), Heartbeat
  • Build Back Yard (2006), Johnhouse
Compilations
  • Early Days (1984), Jah Bible

References
  1. "Little John", AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2011
  2. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 171
  3. Lesser, Beth (2008) Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture, Soul Jazz, ISBN 978-0-9554817-1-0, p. 134
  4. Dougan, John "Boombastic Review", AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2011
  5. Peru, Yasmine (2010) "Reggae Sumfest: The good, the bad and the muddy Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 30 July 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2011
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