Johnny Osbourne

Johnny Osbourne (born Errol Osbourne, 1948) is one of the most popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer of all time, who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. His album Truths and Rights was a roots reggae success, and featured "Jah Promise" and the album's title track, "Truths and Rights".

Johnny also enjoyed big hits with covers of U.S. soul tunes like Ready Or Not and Earth Wind and Fire's Reasons. In addition, he's had many songs with phrase Rub A Dub in the title, the most acclaimed of these is To The Rub A Dub Session. Osbourne is also the most in-demand vocalist for dubplates due to the amount of dancehall classics he's had. This has resulted in the nickname Dancehall Godfather.

He is probably best known for his mid-1980s dancehall reggae hits "Buddy Bye" (based on King Jammy's Sleng Teng riddim), "Ice Cream Love" and "Water Pumping".

Johnny Osbourne attended the Alpha Boys School, an orphanage in Kingston, Jamaica that also was home to Yellowman, founding members of the Skatalites, Leroy Smart and Leroy Horsemouth Wallace as well as Jazz men Dizzy Reece and Joe Harriott.

During 1967 Osbourne became lead vocalist of The Wildcats, and recorded for producer Winston Riley, although nothing was issued. The Wildcats' manager then financed a session at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, from which his debut single, "All I Have Is Love", was released. In 1969 he recorded an album, Come Back Darling, again for Riley. On the day that he completed the album, Osbourne emigrated to Toronto, Canada, to join his family. After singing with various soul and reggae groups, he became lead vocalist for Ishan People, and recorded two albums with them. The group broke up in 1979, and Osbourne decided to return to Jamaica.

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