Biography
read full storyMichael George Campbell (born 4 June 1954 in Port Antonio, Jamaica - died 15 March 2008 in Connecticut, United States), better known as Mikey Dread, was a Jamaican singer, producer, and broadcaster. He was one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music. His abilities, technical expertise, and unique vocal delivery combined to create a unique sound that tells the listener emphatically that it is the "Dread at the Controls".
From an early age, Campbell showed a natural aptitude for engineering and electronics. In 1976, after he finished college, Campbell started out as an engineer with the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). Campbell wasn't impressed that the JBC's playlists mainly consisted of bland, foreign pop music at a time when some of the most potent reggae was being recorded in Jamaica. He convinced his JBC bosses to give him his own radio program called Dread At The Controls, where he played nothing but reggae. Before long, Campbell (now using the DJ name Mikey Dread) had the most popular program on the JBC. Well-known for its fun and adventurous sonic style, Dread At The Controls became a hit all over Jamaica. Inevitably, JBC's conservative management and Campbell clashed, and he quit in protest.
A lot of Mikey Dread's distinctive radio chatter can be heard on the US release of the RAS label LP African Anthem Dubwise. Unlike its Jamaican counterpart Mikey Dread At The Controls Dubwise, his radio exclamations and chatter have been included and add quite a bit of atmosphere to the dubwise proceedings.