Horace Andy

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Born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. This artist was affectionately renamed Andy as a tribute to Bob Andy, in respect of their mutual songwriting abilities, by Coxsone Dodd. Horace, also known as Sleepy, has always been a favored vocalist among reggae fans, and his eerie, haunting style has been imitated endlessly by scores of lesser talents over the years.

It was his work with Dodd that established his reputation. His career at Studio One began with the single “Something On My Mind”, and eventually resulted in the classic “Skylarking”, one of reggae’s biggest hits. From the mid­ 70’s onwards, after leaving Studio One, Andy has worked with many important reggae producers in Jamaica, America, and England. In the process, he has recorded literally hundreds of records, most of which are now only available on rare 45s, although some of the high points of his work with Dodd, Bunny Lee and Wackies are still available.

Skylarking: The Best Of Horace Andy, released in 1996 on Massive Attack's Melankolic label, is an excellent compilation of the artist's work. Horace later returned to the studio in late 1999 to record new material, released on the Melankolic set as “Living In The Flood” in late 1999 and produced by the great Clive Hunt featuring Chinna Melchezidek Smith on guitar.