Johnny Osbourne (born Errol Osbourne, 1948) is one of the most popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singers 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 has had many songs with the 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 has 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".
(Read more at Wikipedia.)
Links To Peel
Peel played Johnny Osbourne regularly on his shows through the 1980s, tracking the singer's evolution from roots reggae to dancehall, but less often in later years.
Festive Fifty Entries
- None
Sessions
- None
Shows Played
- 1981
- 02 March 1981: Mr. Walker (7") Gorgon
- 08 March 1981 (BFBS): Mr. Walker (7") Gorgon
- 06 April 1981: Politician (album - Warrior) Black Joy
- 11 April 1981 (BFBS) (& Papa Tullo): Back Off (7") Greensleeves
- 22 April 1981: Politician (LP – Warrior) Black Joy
- 14 July 1981: Politician (12" - Purify Your Heart / Politician) Black Joy
- 19 July 1981 (BFBS): Politician (12" - Purify Your Heart / Politician) Black Joy
- 1982
- 04 October 1982: Yo-Yo
Johnny Osbourne - Water Pumping
- 1983
- 06 February 1983 (BFBS): Lend Me Your Chopper (7") E&J
- 08 February 1983: Lend Me Your Chopper (7") Hit Bound
- 07 August 1983 (BFBS): Lend Me The Sixteen (7") Studio One
- 10 September 1983 (BFBS): Upfront Lover (7") Top Rank
- 27 September 1983: Murderer
- 30 November 1983: Water Pumping (7") Jammy's
- 12 October 1983 (BFBS): Murderer (7") Studio One
- 05 December 1983: Fire Down Below (LP - Water Pumping) Greensleeves
- 1984
- 16 May 1984: Don't You Know That I Love You (7") Taxi
- 12 November 1984: Grooving () Small Axe
- 1985
- 02 January 1985: In The Area
- 07 January 1985: One Rub A Dub For The Road
- 09 January 1985: One Rub-A-Dub For The Road (12") Top Rank
- 13 January 1985 (BFBS): One Rub-A-Dub For The Road (7") Top Rank
- 19 August 1985: Rub A Dub Soldier (LP - Rub A Dub Soldier) Jammy's
- 20 November 1985: No Sound Like We (7") Jammy's
- 27 November 1985: No Sound Like We (7") Jammy's
- 1986
- 18 November 1986: Dub Plate Playing (shared 7" with Cocoa Tea - Dub Plate Playing / Cocoa Tea Medley) Greensleeves
- 25 November 1986: We Gonna Rock It Tonight (12") Jammy's
- 02 December 1986: We Gonna Rock It Tonight (12") Jammy's
- 1989
- 05 July 1989: (JP: 'This is Johnny Osbourne, a wonderful record')
- The Juggling Steep (12") Live And Love - 11 July 1989: Juggling Steep (Jammy's)
- 13 July 1989 (& Chaka Demus): Few Dollars More (Compilation LP-DJ Government)' (Digital-B)
- 26 July 1989: The Juggling Steep (7") Jammy's
- 27 July 1989 (Rockradio): The Juggling Steep (7") Live & Love
- 31 July 1989: The Juggling Steep (7") Jammys
- 25 September 1989: Cell Block (7") Pickout
- 28 September 1989: Cell Block (7") Pickout
- 05 October 1989: Cell Block (7") Pickout
- 11 October 1989: Line Up (v/a album - King Tubbys Presents Soundclash Dubplate Style) Taurus
- 1990
- 09 April 1990: Don't Bite The Hand (7") Digital-B
- 16 May 1990: Don't Bite The Hand (7") Digital-B
- 12 June 1990: Tin Pan Sound (7") Jammy's
- 20 August 1990: Salute The Don (7") Steely & Clevie
- 1994
- 19 February 1994: One Jamaican (12") Greensleeves
- 2003
- 19 February 2003: In The Area (10") King Jammy’s Gold
