Stanley Beckford
| Stanley Beckford | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Stanley Beckford |
| Born |
17 February 1942 Portland, Jamaica |
| Died | 30 March 2007 (aged 65) Riversdale, St.Catherine, Jamaica |
| Genres | Mento, Reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–1990s |
| Associated acts | The Starlights Stanley and the Turbines The Astronauts |
Stanley Beckford (1942–2007) was a Jamaican born Mento singer, songwriter, and four time Jamaica Independence Festival song contest winner who recorded as a solo artist and with the bands The Starlights/Starlites, Stanley and the Turbines, and Stanley and the Astronauts.
Beckford was born in the north-eastern Jamaican parish of Portland. His mother died during his infancy. At seven, following the death of his father, he was raised by his grandparents, between the west Kingston ghetto areas of Greenwich Farm and Maxfield Avenue. He began singing in the local Church of God, and became choirleader, while neighbour Carlton Smith taught him guitar. Beckford gained recognition outside the church by winning one of journalist and radio presenter Vere Johns's talent contests at west Kingston's Majestic theatre.
In 1968 Beckford joined a neighbourhood reggae band, Soul Syndicate, but his high-pitched, nasal timbre and mento-influenced style did not fit with its focus. He was soon ousted, and subsequently he became a telephone company night watchman.
Working one night in 1973, and witnessing an arrest, Beckford wrote "You are a Wanted Man" – which impressed producer Alvin "GG" Ranglin when Beckford gave an audition. Recorded with his band the Starlites (later credited as The Starlights), the song's mento-styled vocal bucked urban reggae trends and went straight to number one in the Jamaican charts. The group had further hits with "Healing in the Barnyard", "Hold My Hand", and "Mama Dee". His biggest hit was the lewd "Soldering" (1975), banned by Jamaican radio, which prompted vinyl ripostes from Big Youth, I-Roy, and Jah Lloyd.
Beckford became a regular on the north coast hotel circuit, playing to tourists and upper-class locals. After royalty disputes with GG, Beckford, changed the name of his group to Stanley and the Turbines, switching to producer Barrington Jeffrey, at the Dynamic Sounds studio. Jeffrey ran the Dr Komina label and an adaptation of the ribald mento classic "Leave Mi Kisiloo" (1977) was a big hit. It led to an album of the same name and a follow-up set, Brown Gal.
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