Lloyd Charmers

Lloyd Charmers (born Lloyd Tyrell, 1938 – 27 December 2012, also known as Lloyd Chalmers, Lloyd Terell, or Lloyd Terrell)[1] was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer, keyboard player and record producer.

Lloyd Charmers
Birth nameLloyd Tyrell
Born1938
Trench Town, Jamaica
OriginKingston, Jamaica
Died27 December 2012 (aged 74)
GenresSka, reggae
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards
LabelsSplash, Soul Beat, Wildflower

Career

Lloyd Charmers was born in Kingston, Jamaica.[2][3] His professional career began in 1962, when he performed as the Charmers with Roy Willis on Vere Johns' Talent Hour, starting a recording career soon afterward. When the Charmers split, he joined Slim Smith and Martin Jimmy Riley in the Uniques. Charmers subsequently moved on to a solo career, releasing two albums in 1970, and also recording X-rated tracks such as "Birth Control" and the album Censored, these more risqué outings appearing under his real name or as 'Lloydie & The Lowbites'.[4]

He was also briefly a member of the Messengers, a short-lived supergroup that featured Ken Boothe, B. B. Seaton and Busty Brown.

He set up his own record label Splash in the early 1970s,[5] and moved into production.[6] Productions by him were notable for their sophisticated arrangements. With his session band the Now Generation he produced artists such as Ken Boothe (including some of Boothe's most successful solo releases of the period, such as his cover of David Gates' "Everything I Own"),[6] B. B. Seaton, the Gaylads, and Lloyd Parks.

Charmers later relocated to the UK where he continued to record and produce in a variety of styles, from lovers rock to disco.[2]

In 1980, UK ska band the Specials had a hit with "Too Much Too Young", an adaptation of Charmers' 1969 song "Birth Control".[7]

Death

Charmers died on 27 December 2012 from a myocardial infarction (heart attack) in London while driving.[1][8]

Discography

Albums
  • Reggae Charm (1970, Trojan Records) (with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires)
  • Reggae Is Tight (1970, Trojan)
  • Censored (1972, Lowbite) (as Lloydie and The Lowbites)
  • Charmers in Session (1973, Trojan)
  • Wildflower Original Reggae Hits (1974, Trojan)
  • Too Hot To Handle (1975, Wildflower)
  • Golden Days (1980, Sarge)
  • Sweet Memories (1982, Echo)

References
  1. Ruddock, George (2012) "Lloyd Charmers' Passing A Big Loss", Jamaica Gleaner, 29 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2012
  2. "The Great Lloyd Charmers (1) – Trojan". 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. "Lloyd Charmers", AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2012
  4. "Lloydie & the Lowbites- Rough Rider". 6 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2020 – via YouTube.
  5. Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0
  6. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p. 308
  7. "Too Much Too Young by The Specials Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  8. "UPDATE: Musician Lloyd Charmers is dead". Jamaicaobserver.com. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2012.


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