Dave Barker

Dave Barker (born David Crooks; 29 October 1947, Franklyn Town, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae and rocksteady singer, songwriter who has made a string of solo albums along with recordings as a member of the Techniques and as half of the duo Dave and Ansell Collins.

Biography

Crooks was born in 1947 and raised by his grandmother and three uncles from the age of 4 after his mother emigrated to England in 1952 (his father emigrated to the United States before he was born). He began singing as a teenager, inspired by James Brown and Otis Redding, whom he heard on American radio stations.

His first group was the Two Tones, formed with friends Brenton Matthews and Fathead, who recorded unsuccessfully for Duke Reid. Barker had a brief stint in Winston Riley's Techniques, singing alongside Riley and Bruce Ruffin, and formed a duo with Glen Brown as the duo Glen and Dave, recording for both Harry J and Coxsone Dodd, while also working in the pressing plant at Studio One. Brown introduced Crooks to Lee "Scratch" Perry, suggesting that Perry get Crooks to voice a track at a recording session. The resulting track was "Prisoner of Love", and led to Crooks becoming a regular vocalist for Perry...

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