Biography

Robert Ffrench grew up in central Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

 and attended Kingston College. He recorded his first singles in 1979, at the age of 17. He achieved success in 1984 with his performances at the Festival Song Contest and the Reggae Sunsplash

Reggae Sunsplash

Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival...

 festival. He had a combination hit with deejay

Deejay

A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...

 Clement Irie with "Bun & Cheese", and his first two albums were released in 1985. He had another hit in 1989 with "Modern Girl", a collaboration with Courtney Melody. In the mid-1990s he relocated to New York City, where he teamed up with rapper Heavy D, with whom he had a hit with "More Love", with an album following on Ras Records

RAS Records

RAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...

, featuring collaboration with several artists including Lady G

Lady G

Lady G, born Janice Fyffe, is a female Jamaican dancehall and reggae deejay. She is best known for her song "Man a Bad Man" from the film Third World Cop. She is little known outside of Jamaica but has a firm fan base there. Other songs include "Nuff Respect", "Round Table Talk" , "Certain Friends"...

 and General Degree. He has since returned to Jamaica, where he runs the Ffrench record label and distribution company, and more recently set up the Sing Jock label with Horace Davis. He released the album Yesterday and Today in 2001, collecting many of his earlier singles. After a period of inactivity as a recording artist, he returned in 2009 with the single "I Do".

As a producer he has worked with artists such as Dennis Brown

Dennis Brown

Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...

, Buju Banton

Buju Banton

Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....

 (he produced Buju's first single, "The Ruler"), Beres Hammond

Beres Hammond

Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...

, George Nooks

George Nooks

George Nooks, aka Prince Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, or George Knooks is a reggae singer who initially found fame as a deejay.-Biography:...

, Luciano

Luciano (singer)

Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....

, Jah Cure

Jah Cure

Jah Cure, or Iyah Cure is a Jamaican reggae musician, who was raised in Kingston. He was given the name Jah Cure by Capleton whom he met while growing up in Kingston.-Career:...

, and Sizzla

Sizzla

Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...

.

Ffrench was a cousin of the late Pat Kelly

Pat Kelly (musician)

Pat Kelly is a reggae singer whose career began in the late 1960s.- The Techniques :Kelly was born in Kingston in 1949. After leaving school, he spent a year studying electronics in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States during 1966, before returning to Jamaica...

.

Discography

• The Favourite (1985), Black Solidarity
• Wondering (1985), Blue Mountain
• Reggae for the World (1986), Scar Face - with Frankie Paul
  Frankie Paul
  Paul Blake , better known as Frankie Paul, is one of Jamaica's best-loved and popular dancehall reggae artists. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'.-Biography:...
  
  
• Mr. French Showcase (198?), Progressive
• Showcase, Abraham
• Robert French Meets Anthony Johnson (198?), Midnight Rock - with Anthony Johnson
  Anthony Johnson (musician)
  Roy Anthony Johnson , better known simply as Anthony Johnson, is a Jamaican reggae singer who was a member of the group Mystic I and is known for the 1980s hit song "Gunshot".-Biography:...
  
  
• Robert Ffrench, Heavy D and Friends (1995), RAS
  RAS Records
  RAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
  
   - with Heavy D
• Yesterday and Today (2001)

External links

• Robert Ffrench at Roots Archives