Dennis Brown — Crown Prince of Reggae
Introduction:
Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was, by any measure, one of the greatest singers Jamaica ever produced. Known as "The Crown Prince of Reggae" — a title bestowed upon him by Bob Marley himself, who called Brown his favourite singer — Dennis Brown recorded more than 75 albums for 37 different record labels across a 30-year career that began when he was just eleven years old. NPR Morning Edition named him one of the 50 great voices of all time. Damian Marley said: "If they say that Bob Marley is the king of reggae music, then Dennis Brown is the crown prince." For an entire generation of Jamaicans, Dennis Brown was simply the best.
Child Prodigy at Studio One:
Born in Kingston's Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Dennis grew up in a large tenement yard between North Street and King Street in a household touched by entertainment — his father was an actor, scriptwriter and journalist. Music reached him early. He began singing in school concerts at nine, and was noticed by legendary producer Byron Lee who booked "Little Dennis Brown" for a series of shows. Shortly afterwards, Coxsone Dodd of Studio One spotted him. At just eleven, Dennis recorded "No Man Is an Island" — a hit that made him an instant sensation. The maturity of his voice at that age astonished everyone. Alton Ellis, recognising his extraordinary gift, taught the young Dennis to play guitar — advice Ellis said would help him develop as a songwriter.
His contemporaries at Studio One — Horace Andy, Errol Dunkley, the Heptones, Delroy Wilson — were among the finest voices in Jamaican music, and Dennis held his own among all of them from the very beginning. He was billed as "the Boy Wonder of Jamaica" and the title was no exaggeration.
Dennis Brown The Best Of Track Listing:
01 Chinchilla Choons - Intro (Half - Pint).mp3
02 Here I Come - Dennis Brown.mp3
03 Revolution - Dennis Brown.mp3
04 To The Foundation - Dennis Brown.mp3
05 Have You Ever Been In Love ~ Dennis Brown.mp3
06 Hold On To What You Got - Dennis Brown.mp3
07 Caress Me Girl - Dennis Brown.mp3
08 Whip Them Jah Jah - Dennis Brown.mp3
09 The World Is Troubled - Dennis Brown.mp3
10 Rocking Time - Dennis Brown.mp3
11 Stop The Fussing & Fighting (Brother) - Dennis Brown.mp3
12 Rainbow Country - Dennis Brown.mp3
13 Promised Land - Dennis Brown.mp3
14 Wolves And Leopards - Dennis Brown.mp3
15 Joe Lickshot (Chinchilla Skit).mp3
16 Silhouette - Dennis Brown.mp3
17 Wildfire - Dennis Brown.mp3
18 Money In My Pocket - Dennis Brown.mp3
19 Little Village - Dennis Brown.mp3
20 Sitting & Watching - Dennis Brown.mp3
21 Little Green Apples - Dennis Brown.mp3
22 Words Of Wisdom - Dennis Brown.mp3
23 Ragamuffin - Dennis Brown Ft Gregory Isaacs. - The Best Of.mp3
The Crown Prince in Full Bloom:
From the early 1970s Dennis Brown worked with a who's who of Jamaican production — Phil Pratt, Niney the Observer, Joe Gibbs, Derrick Harriott and Sly & Robbie among them. His 1978 UK hit "Money in My Pocket" crossed reggae into the British mainstream. His album Visions topped the UK reggae album chart for five months. His track "Here I Come" became one of reggae's most enduring anthems of positivity and spiritual conviction. He could sing roots reggae, lovers rock and conscious music with equal mastery — few artists in any genre have matched his consistency across styles. Sometimes releasing seven albums in a single year, his output was extraordinary in both volume and quality.
Bob Marley said Dennis Brown was his favourite reggae singer. Bob Marley said very few things idly. Dennis Brown was buried at Kingston's National Heroes Park in 1999. His funeral featured performances by Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Freddie McGregor, Gregory Isaacs, John Holt, Ken Boothe and Marcia Griffiths. In 2011 he was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government for his contribution to music.
Key Albums:
- No Man Is an Island (1970) — debut
- Super Reggae and Soul Hits (1973)
- Visions (1978) — 5 months at UK #1
- Wolf and Leopards (1977)
- Love Has Found Its Way (1983, A&M Records)
- The Prophet Rides Again (1983)
- Satisfaction Feeling (1983)
Dennis Brown on Reggae On A Stick: 
Dennis Brown is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience the Crown Prince of Reggae alongside 99 other legends of Jamaican music.
👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB