Dandy Livingstone

Dandy Livingstone (born Robert Livingstone Thompson, 14 December 1943) is a British-Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae musician and record producer, best known for his 1972 hit "Suzanne Beware of the Devil", and for his song "Rudy, a Message to You", which was later a hit for the Specials. "Suzanne Beware of the Devil" reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and number 78 in Australia. In the early 1960s, Livingstone recorded some of the bestselling UK-produced ska singles of the era.

Biography

At the age of 15, Livingstone moved to the United Kingdom to live with his estranged mother in London. Livingstone's first record was released without his knowledge – a tenant in the building where he and a friend jammed recorded some of these sessions and released some tracks on the Planetone label. When London-based Carnival Records was seeking a Jamaican vocal duo, Livingstone filled the requirement by double-tracking his own voice, releasing records in this fashion under the name Sugar & Dandy. One of these singles, "What a Life", sold 25,000 copies, providing Livingstone with his first hit. When called on to perform live, Roy Smith was recruited to make up the duo, although he would...

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