Neville Staples
| Neville Staple | |
|---|---|
Neville Staple – Dundee Doghouse – 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Neville Eugenton Staple |
| Born |
11 April 1955 Manchester, Jamaica |
| Origin | Coventry, England |
| Genres | 2 Tone, ska, new wave |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | 2 Tone, Chrysalis, Cleopatra |
| Associated acts |
The Specials Fun Boy Three The Neville Staple Band Special Beat |
| Website | www |
Neville Eugenton Staple (born 11 April 1955) is a Jamaican born English singer for the two-tone ska band, The Specials as well as his own combo, The Neville Staple Band. He also sang with Ranking Roger in Special Beat.
Staple was born in Manchester, Jamaica. Neville left Jamaica to live in the English town of Rugby, Warwickshire at the age of five but later moved to Coventry. He was initially active in the sound system scene, forming his own crew called "Jah Baddis". Neville was a regular fixture at the Locarno ballroom in Coventry where he met the resident DJ there, Pete Waterman. Pete wrote the foreword to Neville's biography – "Original Rude Boy" – and briefly managed The Specials.
Neville's first involvement with The Specials was when they were still called The Coventry Automatics, prior to Terry Hall and John Bradbury's entrance. He initially joined as their roadie but at a gig supporting The Clash, Neville took to the stage and never looked back. For a while, The Specials were managed by The Clash's manager Bernard Rhodes of whom Neville used to toast "Bernie Rhodes knows don't argue" at the beginning of the Specials hit single "Gangsters".
Neville sang lead vocals on some tracks or additional and backing vocals alongside Terry Hall's lead. His early vocal style was mostly toasting or chanting over a rhythm. A forerunner of rapping which was brought to Britain in the 1960s by musicians from Jamaica. Neville honed his toasting skills on the sound system scene in Coventry during the 1970s, on his cousin's 'Messenger Sound' then later his own system called 'Jah Baddis'. He also began singing with the Specials and contributed to many of their songs writings, although rarely got credit. When he joined the Coventry Automatics, the line up already included Jerry Dammers, Horace Panter and Silverton Hutchinson on drums. Terry Hall subsequently came in as vocalist, replacing Tim Strickland, and Roddy Radiation on lead guitar. John Bradbury would later take over on drums from Silverton. Neville participated in a reunion line up of The Specials from 1993 to 2001, and again from 2009 to 2012, when he left the band due to mostly personal reasons, as well as some health concerns.
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Wikipedia