Biography
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Born
4 July 1945 (age 78)
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Born In
Saint Ann, Jamaica
Rupie Edwards (born Rupert Lloyd Edwards on 4 July 1945 in St. Ann Parish) is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.
Rupie Edwards moved to Kingston in 1958, where he set up his first band while still at school. After recording a few singles, he became involved with The Virtues and, from 1968, started to focus only on his own productions.
By the beginning of the 1970s, apart from releasing singles as a singer, he had recorded artists like Bob Andy, Johnny Clarke, Joe Higgs, Gregory Isaacs and The Ethiopians on his own record labels 'Success' and 'Opportunity'. He worked also with DJs such as U Roy or I-Roy and released some instrumental versions with his studio band The Rupie Edwards All Stars, including musicians like saxophonist Tommy McCook, trombone player Vin Gordon, and organist Winston Wright amongst others.
In 1974 and 1975, he scored hits in the UK singles chart with "Ire Feelings" and "Leggo Skanga". Both tracks were based on the same riddim and an album containing new and older materials was released in 1975. In 1990, Trojan Records rounded up a full LP Ire Feelings - Chapter and Version composed entirely around this riddim which had originally been cut by Rupie for and voiced by Johnny Clarke for his 'Everyday Wondering.'
After these successes, he moved to London, and since then has kept on producing and recording. There he also used to run a record shop, Rupie Edwards Music, in 120 Ridley Road Market, Dalston.
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