LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Lincoln Barrington Minott,
pioneer of dancehall reggae

WHEREAS, Jamaican reggae singer Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott, who
died on July 10, 2010, unexpectedly at age 54, had a prolific solo
career from the 1970s onwards; he scored his biggest hit with "Good
Thing Going", a cover version of a recording by Michael Jackson; and
WHEREAS, Sugar Minott's single reached No. 4 in the United Kingdom in
1981 and prompted a well-received follow-up album of the same name; he
worked with many of Jamaica's leading producers, including Coxsone Dodd,
Mikey Dread and Sly & Robbie, and also nurtured younger artists through
his Black Roots label and his company Youthman Promotion; and
WHEREAS, Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sugar Minott began working with
local groups of disc jockeys and MCs before he reached his teens; he
cited as his musical inspirations Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson and Dennis
Brown; and
WHEREAS, After a stint as a selector with the Sound of Silence Keytone
outfit, Sugar Minott teamed up with Derrick Howard and Tony Tuff to form
the African Brothers, which gave him his first experience as a singer;
the trio recorded for the Micron label as well as for their own Ital
imprint, working with producers including Keith Weston, Winston "Merri-
tone" Blake and Rupie Edwards; and
WHEREAS, In 1974, the African Brothers cut "No Cup No Broke" for
Dodd's renowned Studio One, the pioneering black-owned music studio in
the Caribbean; when the group split up shortly afterwards, Sugar Minott
stayed on with Dodd and worked as a singer and guitarist at Studio One;
he began recording his own singles, and later completed his first solo
album, "Live Loving", in 1978; and
WHEREAS, It was during this period that Sugar Minott earned a reputa-
tion as a pioneer of reggae's dancehall style, in which he would lay new
vocal tracks over the original 1960s backing tapes instead of using a
live band; other artists had done this in live performance, but he
brought the technique into the recording studio, triggering a revolution
in Jamaican music; and
WHEREAS, After making a second album, "Showcase", Sugar Minott left
Studio One in 1979 and formed his own label, Black Roots; the 1979
album, "Black Roots", generated two of Sugar Minott's biggest hits,
"Hard Time Pressure" and "River Jordan"; and
WHEREAS, "Hard Time Pressure" was a big success in the United Kingdom
reggae charts, which prompted him to relocate to Britain for a time; in
1980, his "Roots Lovers" album found him leaning towards the more roman-
tic, soulful sound of lovers' rock; and
WHEREAS, Sugar Minott returned to Jamaica to supervise his Youth
Promotion operation, celebrating his return with a scintillating
performance at 1983's Reggae Sunsplash festival; the dancehall music he
had helped to create was going strong, and he released the Dancehall
Showcase album; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, Sugar Minott released "Sugar & Spice", a collab-
oration with Sly & Robbie; in 1987, he teamed up with Gregory Isaacs for
the Double Dose collection; by the end of the 1980s, Black Roots had
dissolved and Sugar Minott's influence was beginning to fade; nonethe-
less, he continued to deliver galvanizing live performances, and his
1991 album "Happy Together" was a dramatic mix of musical styles; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, including his wife,
Maxine, Sugar Minott leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the

passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he served
and befriended; now, therefore, be
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Lincoln Barrington Minott, pioneer of dancehall
reggae; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Lincoln Barrington Minott.