Jimmy Riley

Jimmy Riley
Riley pictured in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Martin James Norman Riley
Born	(1947-05-22)22 May 1947
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Died	23 March 2016(2016-03-23) (aged 68) New York City, United States
Genres	Ska, rocksteady, reggae
Occupation(s)	Singer, record producer
Years active	Mid-1960s–2016
Associated acts	The Sensations, The Uniques, Skin, Flesh and Bones

Martin James Norman Riley (22 May 1947 – 23 March 2016), better known as Jimmy Riley, was a Jamaican singer who in addition to recording solo was also a member of the Sensations and The Uniques and was the father of Tarrus Riley.

Martin James Norman Riley also known as Jimmy Riley was born in Jonestown, Kingston, Jamaica on 22 May 1947. Riley grew up in the city's Waterhouse district and attended Kingston Senior School along with Slim Smith. When Smith had success in The Techniques, Riley hung around with the group hoping to join, but was limited to carrying things for them and helping out with harmonies. He decided to form his own group, The Sensations, along with Cornell Campbell, Buster Riley (brother of The Techniques' Winston Riley), and Aaron "Dego" Davis. The Sensations had a successful audition for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid, and the group had mid-1960s success with "Everyday is Just a Holiday" and "Those Guys". On leaving the group in 1967, Riley joined Smith and Lloyd Charmers in the re-formed Uniques, having huge success with songs such as "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation". When the Uniques split up, Riley initially recorded as a solo artist for Bunny Lee before moving away to record independently. He began producing his own recordings and others by artists such as Slim Smith and Delroy Wilson. He had several hits in the 1970s, including "Tell The Youths The Truth", "Nyah Bingi", and "Clean up the Streets", and continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie's Taxi productions. In 1983, Riley topped the UK reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing". In the late 1980s, Riley moved to Miami, and put his career on hold, but returned to Jamaica in the early 1990s.