Richie Stephens
| Richie Stephens | |
|---|---|
 Richie Stephens at 2013 Summerjam Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Stephenson |
| Born | 5 December 1966 |
| Origin | Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica |
| Genres | R&B, reggae, reggae fusion, dancehall |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, producer |
| Labels |
Motown VP Pot of Gold Greensleeves |
| Associated acts | Soul II Soul |
| Website | www.richiestephensmusic.com |
Richard Stephenson, better known as Richie Stephens (born 5 December 1966 in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica)[1] is a Jamaican R&B, dancehall and reggae singer and producer.
Biography
In the early 1990s, Stephens was a part of the twice Grammy Award winning act Soul II Soul, and had recorded at Motown,[2] besides producing records on the VP label and establishing his own label, Pot of Gold Records. Later that decade he published dancehall singles such as "Winner", "Bus the Place" and "Slop Dem". His tracks, "Legacy" (Mad Cobra featuring Richie Stevens, 1993), and "Come Give Me Your Love" (Richie Stephens featuring General Degree, 1997), peaked at #64 and #61 respectively in the UK Singles Chart.[3]
In 1998, Stephens' album, Winner, was released on Greensleeves, produced by himself, Frenchie, Danny Brownie and Donovan Germain. Since then, Stephens has focused his music on Christian related themes.
In 2006, Stephens was rewarded the Jamaican Governor-General's Achievement Award for contributing to civic, social and recreational projects in and around the parish of Westmoreland.[1]
In January 2011, Richie's adopted son Demar Graham, who went by the stage name Copper Cat, was shot and killed outside his home in Kingston.[4]
He released a new album God is on My Side on 22 May 2012, under POT OF GOLD/VPAL. He also released a collaboration album with German reggae singer Gentleman on 27 November 2012 from VPAL. In 2014, following the growth of EDM in Jamaica, Stephens sought to capitalize on this by launching a new riddim called 'Skatech' which was an amalgamation of Jamaican Ska and Electronic Dance Music (EDM). Stephens believed that due to ska not being at the forefront of Jamaican music for many years, combining it with something fresh could bring it back into the spotlight.[5] [6] This provided a different and positive counterargument to the criticism of reggae fusion in Jamaican music, as it was here being used to bring the original forms of reggae back into the limelight, not to drown it out or dilute it as critics would posit.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Richie Stephens wins GG Achievement Awards for Westmoreland. YardFlex.com (2006-10-06). Retrieved on 2013-07-13.
- ↑ allmusic Richie Stephens > Biography
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 528. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ Sharpe, Michael. Entertainer's adopted son killed at his gate. Jamaica Observer. 22 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-3-2.
- ↑ "Richie Stephens to launch 'Skatech' rhythm". Jamaica Star. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
- ↑ "Richie Stephens to launch ‘Skatech’ rhythm". Caribzar. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2015. (subscription required)
External links
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