Clement 'Coxone' Dodd 1932-2004

Clement Seymore Dodd, founder of the Studio One record label and producer and prime mover behind many of the finest moments in reggae, died in his studio on the 4th May. Cause of death is said to be a heart-attack. Coxone ran sound-systems in the 1950s and graduated to cutting his own discs in the early 60s. He ran the first black-owned studio and label in Jamaica. It is hard to find a major artist from the Ska and Reggae eras of Jamaican music who did not start their career with Dodd: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Lee Perry, Horace Andy, Bob Andy, Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott, Freddie McGregor and Frankie Paul all got their first break with Studio One. A studio one discography here: gives some idea of the records he was involved with (LPs only). The list of singles runs to over 6000! Dodd was both entrepreneur and artist in a similar fashion to Berry Gordy at Mowtown. His influence on Ska, Reggae and hence all popular music is incalculable.

duncan

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