Now That You're Dead - Muziek

Theo Beckford Theophilus Beckford December 23 1935 - February 19 2001 Was A Jamaican Composer Singer And Pianist. He Was One Of The Key Musicians Defining The Development Of Jamaican Music From R&b To Ska. The Bulk Of Beckford's Recorded Work Is As A Session Musician With Bands Such As Clue J And His Blues Blasters And He Recorded Extensively For Both Dodd And Duke Reid In This Capacity As Well As For Prince Buster Leslie Kong And Clancy Eccles. Beckford Was Born In 1935 In Trench Town Kingston Jamaica The Second Of Three Sons. He Learned To Play Piano At The Boys' Town Home For Indigent Boys In West Kingston Initially Inspired By Rosco Gordon And Fats Domino And On Leaving Bought A Piano And Began Working With Producer Stanley Motta Backing Local Calypsonians. His Piano Playing Helped To Define The Sound And Feel Of Ska Music As Distinct From Jamaican Rhythm & Blues In The Late 1950s. He Had A Huge Hit In 1959 With "Easy Snappin'" Recorded In 1956 And Played At Dances By Producer Coxsone Dodd Before He Released It Three Years Later On His Worldisc Label. The Single Was A Number One In Jamaica And Stayed On The Chart For Eighteen Months Also Selling Well In The United Kingdom And The Emphasis On The Off-Beat Was Widely Imitated. The Song Is Considered A Forerunner Of Ska. Although Beckford Was Credited As The Writer He Received No Royalties From The Song. A Second Hit Followed With "Jack & Jill Shuffle" And A Few More Singles Were Recorded For Dodd Before Beckford Formed His Own King Pioneer Label In The Early 1960s. In 1975 He Played Piano On Junior Byles' Classic Song "Fade Away" And In 1978 He Appeared As Himself In The Film Rockers. In 1991 Beckford Performed As Part Of The Studio One The Beat Goes On 35 Years In The Business Shows At The National Arena In Kingston. In 1992 "Easy Snappin'" Was Used In A Television Commercial For Jeans But Again Beckford Received No Royalties. Although He Performed On Hundreds Of Popular Records The Lack Of Financial Reward Received By Beckford Was A Constant Complaint Saying In 2000 "Today As I Listen To Music On Radio And Sound System And Recognise That I Created Some Of These Tunes. I Feel Strongly That I Am Not Given Full Recognition For My Work". Beckford Died On 19 February 2001 As A Result Of Injuries Sustained From A Machete Wound To The Head After An Argument With A Neighbour In The Washington Gardens Area Of Kingston. He Left Nine Children.He Is The Grandfather Of Kevin Fitzroy Beckford A Mellon Mays Fellow At Yale University. read less