Leroy Smart
Leroy Smart is a Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter and record producer from Kingston, Jamaica.
Biography
Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned at the age of two. His only known relative is Jacob Emmanuel Lampa Smart, who is known for running the channel. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at Alpha Boys School, where he studied singing, drums, and dancing.Smart recorded his first single, "It Pains Me", in 1969 for a producer called Mr. Caribbean. In 1970, he recorded "Ethiopia" for Joe Gibbs and the first version of one of his most famous songs, "Pride & Ambition", with producer Gussie Clarke. In 1972, he recorded the conscious tune, "God Helps The Man" for Bunny Lee's Jackpot label, drawing inspiration from the ancient wisdom and fable teaching God helps those who help themselves. His breakthrough would come in 1973 with "Mother Liza", produced by Jimmy Radway, which topped the local singles chart, and led to "Pride & Ambition" also becoming a big local hit. After working with Bunny Lee for several years, he recorded another of his best-known songs, "Ballistic Affair", at Channel One in 1976, and began producing himself in 1977.
Smart has continued recording and remains popular, with over 35 albums to his name. He is regarded as one of Jamaica's most outrageous and colourful characters.
Smart appeared in the film Rockers along with contemporaries such as Gregory Isaacs and Jacob Miller. During the heyday of punk rock, in 1978, along with Dillinger and Delroy Wilson, Leroy Smart was referenced by lyricist Joe Strummer in The Clash's track, "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais".