Biography

Smart was born in 1952 and orphaned aged 2. He was raised at Maxfield Park Children's Home and educated at Alpha Boys School

Alpha Boys School

Alpha Cottage School is a school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, run by Roman Catholic nuns...

, 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

Joe Gibbs (record producer)

Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...

, and the first version of one of his most famous songs, "Pride & Ambition", with producer Gussie Clarke

Gussie Clarke

Augustus "Gussie" Clarke , is a reggae producer who worked with some of the top Jamaican reggae artists in the 1970s and later set up his own Music Works studio.-Career:...

. 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

Bunny Lee

Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...

 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

Gregory Isaacs

Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....

 and Jacob Miller

Jacob Miller

Jacob Miller was a Jamaican reggae artist who first recorded with Clement Dodd. While pursuing a prolific solo career, he became the lead singer for reggae group Inner Circle with whom he recorded until his death in a car accident at the age of 27.-Biography:Jacob Miller was born in Mandeville,...

.

Albums

• Ballistic Affair (1977) Conflict/Channel One (aka The Very Best of Leroy Smart)
• Dread Hot In Africa (1977) Burning Sounds
• Impressions of Leroy Smart (1977) Burning Sounds
• Superstar (1977) Third World/Jackpot
• In London Clinker (1978) Attack
• Jah Loves Everyone (1978) Burning Sounds
• Propaganda (1978) Burning Rockers/Burning Sounds
• Let Everyman Survive (1979) GG's
• Showcase Rub A Dub (1979) GG's
• Disco Showcase (1979) Gussie
• Harder Than The Rest (197?) Tad's
• Reggae Showcase Vol 1 (197?) Imperial
• Too Much Grudgefulness (1981) Jah Life
• She Just a Draw Card (1982) Worldwide Success
• On Top (1983) Live & Learn
• She Love It In The Morning (1983) GG's
• Style and Fashion (1983) Nura
• Exclusive (1984) Dynamite
• Live Up Roots Children (1984) Sunset
• Rockers Award Winners (1985) Greensleeves
  Greensleeves Records
  Greensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
  
   (with Sugar Minott
  Sugar Minott
  Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
  
  )
• Back To Back (1985) Volcano (with Junior Reid
  Junior Reid
  Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
  
  )
• Bank Account (1985) Powerhouse
• Showcase (1985) Fatman
• We Rule Everytime (1985) Jammy's
• Face To Face Clash (1985) Sunset (with Junior Reid)
• Prophecy a Go Hold Dem (1986) Jah Life/WWS
• Music in the Dancehall (198?), Zion Music Workshop
• Musical Don (1988) Skengdon
• Don of Class (1988) WWS
• Talk About Friends (1993)
• Let Everyman Survive (1993), Jamaican Gold
• Everytime! (1994), RAS
• Leroy Smart Meets Sister Levi (2003), Budgie Entertainments
• Mr. Smart in Dub (2005), Jamaican Recordings
• Private Message (2005), Grapevine

External links

• Discography at Roots Archives.