Roy Cousins

Roy Anthony Cousins (born 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, producer, and record label owner, known for being lead singer and co creator of The Royals, his productions of artists such as Charlie Chaplin, Prince Far I, Scientist, Winston Francis, Earl Sixteen, Devon Russell, Junior Reid, Don Carlos, Pablove Black, Ken Parker, Knowledge, The Gaylads, The Meditations, Prince Hammer and Cornell Campbell, and his record labels, Uhuru, Tamoki, Wambesi, Dove & Tamoki-Wambesi/Tamoki Wambesi Dove.

Biography

Cousins worked for the Jamaican Post Office for many years after he left school, and had formed his first vocal group in 1962, to attend the Junior Festival Competition. In 1965 he formed a vocal group (The Royals), whose first release by Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label was put out under the name of The Tempests, and later as The Royals. Frustrated with his dealings with record labels, he started his own Uhuru label in 1969. This soon folded, but he returned with the Tamoki label in 1972 and the Wambesi label in 1974. He also began producing other artists, including Gregory Isaacs' "Way of Life" in 1974, which established the singer as a star.

In June 1977, Cousins...

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