Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson is a Jamaican reggae vocalist from Kingston, Jamaica. He is associated with classic pop and rock as well as reggae, and he is known for his work on the European reggae circuit and in Jamaica. He lives in the UK and performs in France, Germany, Slovenia and Italy.

Early life and background

Roy Anthony Johnson is born in Kingston at Jubilee Hospital and grows up in a tenement yard near the centre of Trench Town. His mother, Cynthia Hamilton, works as a market woman, and his father is Barbadian and works at the Sombero Club in Kingston. His parents have three children together before separating, and both parents have children with other partners, leaving Johnson with several siblings.

Byah’s yard at 15½ James Street plays an important part in his development as a musician. The yard functions as a dancehall on weekends and holidays, and some of the major sound systems of the period play there. As a child, Johnson hears Studio One and Treasure Isles recordings from the 1960s and early 1970s.

Career

Johnson sings in the vocal group Mystic Eyes and records a number of tracks for different producers. He later builds a large discography as a solo artist. He is widely known for the 1980s song “Every Day is a Gunshot”, which becomes a dancehall anthem and is recognised as one of the early major songs to call for an end to the “shotta” mentality in Jamaica.

Style and reputation

Johnson is identified as a reggae singer and reggae vocalist, with activity that extends beyond Jamaica to audiences across Europe. His work is linked to roots reggae and dancehall, and he remains known for a catalogue that is extensive rather than centred on a single recording.