Count Prince Miller

Clarence Linberg Miller (30 March 1934 – 16 August 2018),[2][3] better known as Count Prince Miller, was a Jamaican-born British actor and musician.

Count Prince Miller
Birth nameClarence Linberg Miller
Born(1934-03-30)30 March 1934
near Port Maria, Jamaica
OriginSaint Mary, Jamaica[1]
Died16 August 2018(2018-08-16) (aged 84)
GenresReggae
Occupation(s)Singer, actor
Years active1960s–2018
LabelsTrojan Records

Biography

Miller began as a musician, recording a number of reggae songs.[4] His best known song is "Mule Train Parts One & Two", which was a hit on Trojan Records in 1971, before being re-recorded with Sly and Robbie in the early 1980s.[1] Adding elements of music hall performance to his reggae style, Miller drew comparison with Judge Dread for his somewhat bawdy music.[5] He also regularly appeared with Jimmy James.[6] Known as something of a showman Miller was picked to compere the 1969 Wembley Reggae Festival, the first major reggae music event in Britain.[7]

Music

Miller recorded a single, "Blue Blue World" bw "Somethin' to Make You Feel Good" which was released on Pye 7N 17786 in 1969.[8] In 1978, he recorded "Red Red Wine" bw "Dub Red Red Wine" which was released on Raymond Morrison's Hawk label. It was credited to Count Prince Miller with Tamashante.[9][10][11]

Acting

As an actor Miller's credits include the role of Vince in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond's, initially an occasional role until the last series, when he became a regular. The character was a member of the fictional group the Georgetown Dreamers, in which Miller was joined by fellow musicians Ram John Holder and Sol Raye, as well as the show's star Norman Beaton. Miller's role continued in the spin-off series, Porkpie.

Earlier, in 1962, Miller appeared as a nightclub dancer in the 1962 James Bond film, Dr. No.[12]

Miller went on to make an appearance in the 2003 film What a Girl Wants, while he secured Best Male Actor Award at the 2006 Black Film Makers' International Awards Ceremony for his role in Winnie and the Duppy Bat.[1] Additionally, Miller played a small role in the 2017 film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as 'Elderly Patient 2'.

Miller also appeared in plays, two of which were written by J. D. Douglas (Black Heroes and JA Story). He was praised for his portrayal of Marcus Garvey in the former.[13]

Honours

In 2007, Miller was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction for his contributions to the music industry in Jamaica.[14]

References
  1. "Count Prince Miller takes Black Film Makers' 'Best Male Actor' award", Jamaica Gleaner, 25 January 2007. Archived 22 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Legendary entertainer Count Prince Miller dies". Jamaica-gleaner.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. Mason, Peter (23 August 2018). "Count Prince Miller obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  4. "Count Prince Miller". discogs. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  5. Polatnick, Gordon. "Judge Dread page in Fuller Up, Dead Musician Directory". Elvispelvis.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  6. Profile of Jimmy James on VH1 website
  7. Michael de Koningh & Laurence Cane-Honeysett: Young, Gifted And Black, The Story Of Trojan Records, 2003, Sanctuary Publishing, p. 60.
  8. Tapir's Reggae Discographies - PYE 7"S
  9. 45Cat - Hawk (Reggae) - Label Discography
  10. Music Metason - ArtistInfo, Count Prince Miller, Red Red Wine
  11. Tighten Up!: The History of Reggae in the UK, Michael De Koningh, Marc Griffiths · 2003 - PAGE 248 Name: Hawk
  12. "Count Prince Miller – Foundation SKA". Skabook.com. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  13. Weiss, Hedy (21 March 1991). "Regal show hails 'Black Heroes'". Chicago Sun-Times  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  14. Rose, Dionne (18 October 2007). "Honours". The Weekly Gleaner  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.


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