Ruddy Thomas
Encyclopedia
Ruddy Thomas was a Jamaica
n reggae
singer, musician, and recording engineer, who had his greatest successes as a singer in the late 1970s and early 1980s with lovers rock
songs.
in the 1970s, running and arranging recording sessions, and providing percussion and backing vocals. He recorded several singles for Gibbs, including "Every Day Is a Holiday", "Let's Make a Baby" and a version of Dobby Dobson
's "Loving Pauper". Thomas's version of "Loving Pauper" was the number one song of the year on the 1978 RJR Top 100. He had a number one reggae hit in the United Kingdom
in 1981 with "Just One Moment Away". In 1983, he recorded the duet "(You Know How to Make Me) Feel So Good" with Susan Cadogan
, which topped the reggae charts and was followed in 1984 by another duet with Cadogan, "Only Heaven Can Wait", and an album. Thomas also recorded duets with J.C. Lodge ("Time For Love"), Marcia Aitken
("The Closer I Get To You"), Pam Hall ("You Can't Hide") and Cynthia Schloss ("Don't Want To Lose You", "How Can I Let You Get Away", and "There Is A Fire").
Thomas provided backing vocals on several albums, including Peter Tosh
's No Nuclear War. He was also part of the horn section on Cornell Campbell
's 1982 album What's Happening To Me.
Thomas later joined Tommy Cowan
's Talent Corporation roster.
Thomas also acted as recording engineer on many releases by the likes of Boris Gardiner
, Leroy Smart
, Sugar Minott
, The Wailing Souls
, Beres Hammond
, Dennis Brown
, Frankie Paul
, and Dean Fraser
. He was also credited with co-producing the 1982 album Superstar Yellowman
Has Arrived With Toyan
.
He died after suffering a heart attack while performing at the Popular Song Contest Street Blocker at Port Antonio
, Portland, Jamaica.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer, musician, and recording engineer, who had his greatest successes as a singer in the late 1970s and early 1980s with lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
songs.
Biography
Thomas worked for producer Joe GibbsJoe 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...
in the 1970s, running and arranging recording sessions, and providing percussion and backing vocals. He recorded several singles for Gibbs, including "Every Day Is a Holiday", "Let's Make a Baby" and a version of Dobby Dobson
Dobby Dobson
Highland "Dobby" Dobson is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer, nicknamed 'The Loving Pauper' after one of his best known songs.-Biography:...
's "Loving Pauper". Thomas's version of "Loving Pauper" was the number one song of the year on the 1978 RJR Top 100. He had a number one reggae hit in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1981 with "Just One Moment Away". In 1983, he recorded the duet "(You Know How to Make Me) Feel So Good" with Susan Cadogan
Susan Cadogan
Susan Cadogan is a reggae singer best known for her hit records in the 1970s.-Biography:...
, which topped the reggae charts and was followed in 1984 by another duet with Cadogan, "Only Heaven Can Wait", and an album. Thomas also recorded duets with J.C. Lodge ("Time For Love"), Marcia Aitken
Marcia Aitken
Marcia Aitken is a reggae singer best known for her recordings in the late 1970s, produced by Joe Gibbs along with Errol Thompson.-Biography:...
("The Closer I Get To You"), Pam Hall ("You Can't Hide") and Cynthia Schloss ("Don't Want To Lose You", "How Can I Let You Get Away", and "There Is A Fire").
Thomas provided backing vocals on several albums, including Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
's No Nuclear War. He was also part of the horn section on Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell aka Don Cornell or Don Gorgon is a reggae singer, best known for his trademark falsetto voice, and his recordings at Studio One in the late 1960s and his later work with Bunny Lee in the 1970s.-Biography:Cornel has one of the sweetest falsettos of any Jamaican vocalist and uses it...
's 1982 album What's Happening To Me.
Thomas later joined Tommy Cowan
Tommy Cowan
Tommy Cowan is a producer and singer, initially working in reggae but later concentrating on gospel, who has been involved in the music business since the 1960s...
's Talent Corporation roster.
Thomas also acted as recording engineer on many releases by the likes of Boris Gardiner
Boris Gardiner
Boris Gardiner is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist.-Career:Gardiner performed on the tourist circuit for much of the 1960s and was a member of Carlos Malcolm & the Afro Caribs and Byron Lee's Dragonaires...
, Leroy Smart
Leroy Smart
-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, where he studied singing, drums and dancing....
, Sugar Minott
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
, The Wailing Souls
The Wailing Souls
The Wailing Souls are a Jamaican reggae vocal group still recording and performing live, whose origins date back to the 1960s.-Career:They have recorded with many top Jamaican record producers including Coxsone Dodd of Studio One, Lloyd "King Jammy" James, Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Delroy Wilson and...
, Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...
, 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...
, 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:...
, and Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Musgrave Medal by the Jamaican government in 1993 in recognition of his services to music.-Biography:Fraser started to play the clarinet at the age of 12...
. He was also credited with co-producing the 1982 album Superstar Yellowman
Yellowman
Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman...
Has Arrived With Toyan
Toyan
Toyan aka Ranking Toyan was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.-Biography:...
.
He died after suffering a heart attack while performing at the Popular Song Contest Street Blocker at Port Antonio
Port Antonio
Port Antonio is the capital of the parish of Portland on the northeastern coast of Jamaica, about 60 miles from Kingston. It had a population of 12,285 in 1982 and 13,246 in 1991...
, Portland, Jamaica.
Albums
- First Time Around (1981) Joe Gibbs
- Reggae By Ruddy Thomas (1983) Friends
- When I've Got You (1983) Hawkeye
- The Very Best Of Ruddy Thomas (1983) Mobiliser
- Ruddy Thomas and Susan Cadogan (with Susan Cadogan)
- Don't Want to Lose You (1987), World Enterprise
- Time For Love (1989) C&E
- Greatest Hits (1997) Rhino
- Sings Bob Marley (1997) Disky
- Sweet Lovers Rock (2003) P-Vine Japan