Mikey Dread

[mjzee]

Memories of a reggae pioneer

By BEN LEVINE

blevine@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD — His name does not resonate as loudly in the American conscience as Bob Marley, but there are few artists of more importance to reggae music than Mikey Dread.

Dread did not achieve his stature as a singer or musician, but rather as host of the ground-breaking radio program "The Dread at the Controls," which aired on the Jamaica Broadcast Company (JBC) in the late 1970s.

On Saturday, April 5, the reggae pioneer, who had called Stamford home for the last two years, was laid to rest in his native Port Antonio, Jamaica. On March 15, just six months after revealing to the world he had a brain tumor, Dread, born Michael Campbell, died at his Stamford home with his wife, Monika, and his children by his side. He was 53-years-old.

"He was a fun person. Very loving, very generous and he would always make you laugh," said Mabel Burke, 62, who has known Dread and his family for 15 years. "When you were around him, he made you feel alive."

Burke, who came to Stamford from Jamaica 35 years ago, remembers Dread as a man of great energy and commitment. He was someone who was willing to do whatever his community asked him to, she said, whether it was performing or talking about social issues.

"He was selfless. Whatever he had, he would share with others," Burke said.

Reggae music has always been a voice for the people, one that fought for change and triumph; but while many Americans may find it hard to believe, there was a time when the peoples' music could not be found on the airwaves in Jamaica.

Dread helped change that with his radio program, and in the process created a legacy for himself that will live long beyond his time on earth.

Dread's career in radio began in 1976, at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), where he started out as an engineer. Dissatisfied with JBC's playlists — which consisted mainly of foreign pop music — he convinced the brass to give him his own radio program.

"He spoke the peoples' language," said Leslie Miles, a former JBC journalist who now heads the news department at Bess FM in Kingston, Jamaica. "He was extremely valuable, because what he was doing (at the JBC) was pioneering work. He gave exposure to a brand of music — which is called dub or roots music — that was not being heard (on the radio)."

The music was raw and politically charged, and in an attempt to pacify Dread and the music, the JBC aired his show "The Dread at the Controls," from midnight to 5 a.m., Miles said.

"But that did not deter him or the people," he said.

Dread's program quickly become the most popular one on the radio. It wasn't just the music that drove it, Miles said, but also Dread's unwavering decision to talk about the issues that affected Kingston's most underprivileged people.

Miles said it was his outspoken and thoughtful words that won the hearts of his listeners. But this brashness ultimately led to him being forced out of the JBC in 1978.

However, by the time he was ushered out, his legacy had been solidified, and Dread began to produce his own material. His records, "Dread at the Controls" and "World War III," became favorites among reggae fans.

Dread's popularity attracted the attention of British punk rockers The Clash, who invited him to England to produce some of their music. Dread produced their famous song, "Bankrobber," and in 1980 he co-produced the album, "Sandinista!," before touring with The Clash throughout Europe and the United States.

Clive Chin, co-founder of the Jamaica, Queens based VP Records, remembers Dread as a revolutionary spirit, but also as a kind soul who was full of humor.

"I remember Mikey as a very smart and witty person," said Chin, who met Mikey in the mid-70s in Kingston, Jamaica.

Dread would pop into VP studios from time to time in the early 1980s, Chin said, and was always very interested in the production process. Chin also credited Dread with coining the phrase that VP Records is most famous for.

"What everyone says about VP is 'we are miles ahead in reggae music,'" Chin said. "Those are the words of Mikey Dread."

Dread honed his skills as a producer at the National Broadcasting School in London, where he graduated with special commendations in 1980. During his time in London, Dread produced several tracks for the UB40.

Some of his works in the United Kingdom included narrating reggae documentaries, hosting television series such as the "Rockers Roadshow" and the six-part BBC Channel 4 reggae documentary series, "Deep Roots Music."

Miles said Dread was a man of great focus and commitment, and, true to that spirit, he furthered the breadth of his production abilities by earning a bachelor's degree in TV/broadcast journalism in the mid-'90s from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

According to Burke, Dread's first exposure to Stamford came in the late '90s, when he performed at the "Jamaica in the Park" concert at Mill River Park.

"Mikey made history in Stamford by performing the first concert of its kind," she said.

It was quite an event, Burke said, because during the late '90s and into the early part of this decade, there was a good-size Jamaican presence in Stamford.

Over the years. however, many Jamaicans who once called the city home have left, Burke said.

And even though he is now gone, Dread's friends said his spirit will endure, continuing to help shape the music of the people and the sound of his homeland.

"I will remember him as a man who crated a vibe in Jamaica, and as someone with a good attitude towards music and culture," Miles said. "Mikey was a pioneer, and he led others to do likewise. I'm sure his work did a deal of positive to those who were desperate for their voices to be heard."

[paul secor]

I have several of his records, and have enjoyed them over the years. I've never known much of anything about the man behind the music. I'm sorry that I had to read about his life in an obituary.

Thank you for the music you gave us, Mr. Campbell. May you rest in peace.