Bunny Rugs

Bunny Rugs
Pictured in 2009
Background information
Birth name	William Clarke
Also known as	Bunny Scott
Born	(1948-02-06)6 February 1948 Mandeville, Jamaica
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Died	2 February 2014(2014-02-02) (aged 65) Orlando, Florida, United States
Genres	Reggae
Years active	Mid-1960s–2014
Associated acts	Charlie Hackett and the Souvenirs Inner Circle Hugh Hendricks and the Buccaneers The Bluegrass Experience Bunny & Ricky Third World

William "Bunny Rugs" Clarke (6 February 1948 – 2 February 2014), also known as Bunny Scott, was the lead singer of Jamaican reggae band Third World as well as recording as a solo artist. He began his career in the mid-1960s and was also at one time a member of Inner Circle and half of the duo Bunny & Ricky.

Biography

Born in Mandeville and raised on John's Lane in Kingston, Clarke's father was an Anglican preacher.^[1] He joined Charlie Hackett and the Souvenirs, the resident band at the Kitty Club on Maxfield Avenue, in the mid-1960s before leading the early lineup of Inner Circle in 1969. A spell living in New York City followed from 1971 where he was a member of the dance band Hugh Hendricks and the Buccaneers, and later the Bluegrass Experience with Glen Adams, Eric Frater and Sparrow Martin.^[1][2] He returned to Jamaica in 1974 and recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry at the Black Ark, initially as a backing singer, then with Leslie Kong's nephew Ricky Grant as the duo Bunny & Ricky, releasing singles such as "Freedom Fighter" and "Bushweed Corntrash", and also recording the solo album To Love Somebody (1975, credited as Bunny Scott).^[1] He was also a member of The Wild Bunch before returning to New York and taking over as lead singer of Third World from Milton "Prilly" Hamilton in 1976.^[2] With Third World he recorded the successful 96° in the Shade album, and was with the band until his death in early 2014^[2] He returned to the Black Ark in 1977, contributing backing vocals (with Earl 16) to Yabby You's "Chant Down Babylon Kingdom".^[1]

As well as performing and recording with Third World, he continued to record as a solo artist, releasing the Jack Scorpio-produced Talking to You album in 1995, with guest contributions from Papa San, Cobra and General Trees.^[2][3]

His planned 2008 album Thinking Bout You was due to be released on 6 February, to coincide with Bob Marley Day celebrations, the date also being Clarke's birthday.^[4] He contributed to the Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band album in 2009, contributing a version of "Lovely Rita" recorded with U-Roy.

In 2012 he released the single "Land We Love", with profits going to the charities the Jamaican Children's Heart Fund (the charity for which he was a spokesman) and Chain of Hope.^[5] The single was taken from the album Time, released in September 2012.^[5][6] Later that year he received a Caribbean American Heritage Award for Outstanding Contribution to Reggae.^[7]

Health problems forced him to miss some of the shows on Third World's fortieth anniversary tour in 2013, and he confirmed that he had been diagnosed with cancer.^[8] In early 2014 he was hospitalized in Orlando, Florida, whre he was treated for leukaemia, and died on 2 February at the age of 65.^[8][9][10] He is survived by his wife and eight children^[11].

Clarke explained that his 'Bunny Rugs' nickname came from his grandmother calling him 'Bunny' as a child because he would "jump around the house like a rabbit" and from a member of the Third World road crew calling him 'Rugs' because of his liking for sleeping on the floor.^[12]

Discography

See also Third World (band)

Albums

• To Love Somebody (1975), Klik - as Bunny Scott
• Talking to You (1995), Greensleeves/Shanachie
• Bunny Rugs On Soul (2000), DFP Music
• What a World (2006), Elite Music Group
• I'm Sure (2007), CED
• Time (2012), VPAL

Compilations

• Timeless Classics (2011)

Singles

• "Let Love Touch Us Now"/"I Am I Said" (1982), Black Ark International - 12-inch, credited as 'Bunny Rags'
• "Be Thank Full" (19??), Belleville International
• "War, War, War" (198?), Black Scorpio
• "Bridges Instead" (1990), Two Friends - 12-inch, Shabba Ranks featuring Bunny Rugs
• "Here Comes Rudie" (1991), Exterminator - Gregory Isaacs & Bunny Rugs
• "Rude Boy" (1991), Xterminator - Tony Rebel, Gregory Isaacs, and Bunny Rugs
• "If I Follow My Heart" (1993), Tuff Gong
• "I'm The Ghetto" (1993), Leggo
• "Stand By Me" (1994), Shanachie - Bunny Rugs & Papa San
• "Stand By Me" (1994), Black Scorpio - Papa San & Bunny Rugs, B-side of Papa San's "Girls Every Day"
• "Now That We've Found Love" (1995), Greensleeves - 12-inch
• "Now That We Found Love" (1995), Black Scorpio - featuring Sean Paul
• "Now That We Found Love" (1995), Shanachie
• "Apartheid No!"
• "I'll Be There" (2002), Joe Frasier
• "What a World" (2004), Raw Edge
• "Marcus Garvey" (2004), Mister Tipsy
• "Writings on the Wall" (2005), Elogic Music Group - Wayne Marshall & Bunny Rugs
• "Now That We've Found Love" (2006), CED - CD maxi single
• "World Today" (2007), Hyper-Active Entertainment
• "Down in the Ghetto" (2007), Taxi - Bounty Killer & Bunny Rugs
• "Satamassagana" (20??), Coptic Lion - featuring Tappa Zukie
• Excerpts from the album Time EP (2011)
• "Big May" (2012), Black Swan/Trojan
• "Land We Love" (2012)

With Bunny & Ricky

• "Freedom Fighter" (1974), Black Art
• "Bushweed Corntrash" (1975), Black Art

References