Tyrone Downie

Tyrone Downie
Birth name Tyrone Downie
Also known as Organ D, Jumpy
Born 20 May 1956
Origin King Street, Kingston, Jamaica
Genres Reggae
Occupation(s) Arranger, Pianist, Musician
Instruments Keyboards (piano, rhodes piano, organ, synthesizers, mellotron), guitar
Years active 1970–present
Associated acts Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Wailers Band, Tom Tom Club, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Sly & Robbie Has also toured Zambia and elsewhere with Jimmy Cliff.

Tyrone Downie is a Jamaican keyboardist/pianist who is most known for his involvement as a member of Bob Marley and The Wailers.[1] He studied at Kingston College and joined The Wailers in the mid-1970s, making his recording début with the band on Rastaman Vibration, having previously been a member of the Impact All Stars.[2][3] He has also played with The Abyssinians, Beenie Man, Black Uhuru,[3] Buju Banton, Peter Tosh, Junior Reid,[1] Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly and Sly & Robbie. He currently resides in France and is a member of the touring band of Youssou N'Dour, whose album Remember he produced.[2]

In 1983, Grace Jones released the Single "My Jamaican Guy". Unbeknown to Downie, he (though in a relationship and not romantically linked to Jones) was the subject of the song.[4]

Downie released the solo album Organ-D in 2001.[3]


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Foster, Chuck (1999) Roots Rock Reggae, Billboard Books, ISBN 0-8230-7831-0, p. 66, 116
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Wailers bands carry on tradition for survival", Jamaica Gleaner, 19 July 2009, retrieved 2010-10-31
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Moskowitz, David V. (2006) "Tyrone Downie", in Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 92-3
  4. ↑ Simon Hattenstone (2010-04-17). "Grace Jones: 'God I'm scary. I'm scaring myself'". The Guardian. www.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-01-02.

External links