Singer Shenley Duffus is dead at
62
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MARK CUMMINGS, Observer staff reporter
Friday, February
22, 2002
|
 |
| Shenley Duffus in performance at
Heineken Startime's Life Is Just For Living concert on July 27
last year. (File photo: Joseph
Wellington) |
THE music fraternity is mourning
the loss of one of Jamaica's musical pioneers, Chandley Duffus.
Better know as Shenley Duffus, the
singer passed away last week Tuesday in Ocho Rios, just one day
before his 63rd birthday.
"Shenley's passing will be a great
loss to the music industry. He has made a significant contribution
to the local recording industry," producer Clement "Sir Coxone"
Dodd, told Splash, Thursday.
"The artistes at Studio One miss
him a lot because he was a jolly old fellow," Dodd added.
Duffus started his music career at
Dodd's Studio One in 1954 and during his lifetime he recorded a
number of hits. These incude Give To Get, Bet You Don't Know, What a
Disaster, Christopher Columbus, Rukumbine and The Lord Will Make A
Way.
The late singer performed on the
Kingston club circuit club, at hot spots like the Sombrero Club on
Molynes Road, the VIP Glass Bucket on Half-Way-Tree Road and Club
Havana on Windward Road.
It was during this period, in the
ska era of the 1950s, that Prince Buster and Derrick Morgan helped
Duffus to release What A Disaster which topped the Jamaican
charts.
Later, Duffus recorded and released
Nobody Know, Digging A Ditch and Bet You Dont Know. These songs were
followed by two monster hits Rukumbine and Something On My Mind.
In the early 1960s, Duffus left the
recording scene for the North Coast, where he performed in carabet
on the hotel circuit, working between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.
After spending some time abroad, he
was back at Studio One working on an album which was scheduled to be
released later this year.
"The album is complete but it was
not yet released because we were waiting until a single from the
album, that was released recently, takes off," Dodd said.
He added, however, that the album
which is called Shenley Now and Then, will definitely be released
later this year.
Last July, Duffus was added to the
popular vintage concert series, Heineken Startime's, roster and
appeared at their big Independence package, Life Is Just For Living,
at the Mass Camp Village.
The funeral service for the late
Shenley Duffus will be held next Monday in Ocho Rios.
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