Editing Barrington Levy

{{Short description|Jamaican musician (born 1964)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Barrington Levy
| image           = BarringtonLevy2.jpg
| image_size      =
| caption         = Barrington Levy in [[Geel]], Belgium
| landscape       = yes
| birth_name      = Barrington Ainsworth Levy
| alias           =
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1964|4|30|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Clarendon Parish, Jamaica|Clarendon]], Jamaica
| origin          =
| death_date      =
| death_place     =
| instrument      =
| genre           = [[Reggae]], [[dancehall]], [[reggae fusion]], [[ragga jungle]]
| occupation      =
| years_active    = 1976–present
| label           = [[MCA Records]]
| associated_acts = [[Shyne]]
| website         = {{URL|www.barringtonlevy.com|BarringtonLevy.com}}
}}

'''Barrington Ainsworth Levy''' (born 30 April 1964)<ref name="Greene" /> is a [[Jamaica]]n [[reggae]] and [[dancehall]] artist from [[Clarendon, Jamaica]].

==Career==
[[File:BarringtonLevy4.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Barrington Levy in concert at Reggae Geel, 3 August 2018]]
[[File:BarringtonLevy5.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Barrington Levy in concert at Reggae Geel, 3 August 2018]]
[[File:BarringtonLevy8.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Barrington Levy in concert at Reggae Geel, 3 August 2018]]
[[Image:Barrington Levy.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Barrington Levy in Stockholm, 29 November 2009]]

In 1977, Levy formed a [[band (music)|band]] called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Black Girl".<ref name="Greene">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p2904/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Barrington Levy|last=Greene|first=Jo-Ann |publisher=[[AllMusic]]| access-date=16 April 2010}}</ref><ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, {{ISBN|0-87930-655-6}}, p. 147-149</ref> Levy established his [[solo (music)|solo]] career the following year with the release of "A Long Time Since We Don't Have No Love";<ref name="Thompson" /> though the [[single (music)|single]] was a failure, the fourteen-year-old was a popular performer at Jamaican dancehalls.<ref name="Moskowitz">Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, {{ISBN|0-313-33158-8}}, p. 175-6</ref> In an August 2014 interview with [[Midnight Raver]], record producer Delroy Wright revealed that it was his brother [[Hyman Wright]] who first met Barrington Levy in the mid-1970s through Wade "Trinity" Brammer.  According to Delroy Wright, Hyman Wright recorded a host of tracks with Barrington Levy prior to introducing him to [[Henry "Junjo" Lawes]].  These tracks would eventually appear on the album ''Bounty Hunter'', which was released on the Jah Life record label.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://midnightraverblog.com/2014/08/21/from-kingston-14-to-georgia-avenue-the-delroy-wright-interview-part-iii/|title=From Kingston 14 to Georgia Avenue: The Delroy Wright Interview|website=midnightraverblog.com|publisher=Midnight Raver|access-date=22 August 2014}}</ref> Both [[record producer]]s recorded several singles with the [[Roots Radics]], including "Ah Yah We Deh", "Looking My Love", "Englishman",  "Skylarking", "Wedding Ring Aside" and "Collie Weed", all of which became [[hit record|hits]] and established Levy's career. Levy's next few singles were similarly successful, including "Shine Eye Girl", "Wicked Intention", "Jumpy Girl",  "Disco Music", "Reggae Music", "Never Tear My Love Apart", "Jah", "You Made Me So Happy" and "When You're Young and in Love".  Levy then recorded several duets with [[Toyan]], [[Jah Thomas]] and [[Trinity (musician)|Trinity]], and appeared at [[Reggae Sunsplash]] in 1980 and 1981.<ref name="Thompson" /> Although [[album]]s were not terribly important in Jamaica at the time, Levy released four [[albums]] before 1980: ''Shaolin Temple'', ''Bounty Hunter'', ''Shine Eye Gal'' ([[United Kingdom]]) and ''[[Englishman (album)|Englishman]]'', a [[music journalism|critically]] acclaimed [[Gramophone record|record]]. His success led to many earlier studio and sound system performances being reissued without his consent, releases he described as "joke business".<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}, p. 168-9</ref>

By the time his 1980 album ''Robin Hood'' was released, Levy was one of the biggest Jamaican stars, and saw his international fame growing as well, especially in the [[United Kingdom]].  Levy made his debut as a producer on the rare 1981 showcase album titled ''Run Come Ya'', which was issued on the Canadian Puff Records label.<ref>{{cite web|last=Raver|first=Midnight|title=Ten Things You Did Not Know About Barrington Levy|url=http://midnightraverblog.com/2014/02/27/ten-things-you-did-not-know-about-barrington-levy/|publisher=Midnight Raver|access-date=28 February 2014}}</ref>

Taking a break from albums, Levy then released a series of hit singles, including "Mary Long Tongue", "In the Dark", "Too Poor", "I Have a Problem", "Eventide Fire a Disaster", "I'm Not in Love", "You Have It", "Love of Jah", "Under Mi Sensi", "Tomorrow Is Another Day", "Robberman", "Black Roses", "My Woman" and "Money Move".<ref name="Thompson" /> He began working with [[Paul "Jah Screw" Love]] and toured the UK in 1984, where he enjoyed a big hit on the reggae charts with "Under Mi Sensi", which was followed by the crossover hit "Here I Come", which reached number 41 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1985.<ref name="CS">"[https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ Barrington Levy]", Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-07-18</ref> He returned to LPs with ''Lifestyle'' and ''Money Move'', followed by a [[Great Britain|British]] hit album called ''[[Here I Come (Barrington Levy album)|Here I Come]]''; Levy received the Best Vocalist prize at the British Reggae Awards in 1984.<ref name="Thompson" /> The late 1980s saw Levy, now in his twenties, slow down his recorded output, though he continued to perform and record regularly, and played at Sunsplash every year from 1987 to 1995.<ref name="Thompson" /> His fortunes were revived by two cover versions of [[Bob Andy]] songs - "My Time" and "Too Experienced", both produced by Jah Screw,<ref name="Greene" /> and he was signed by [[Island Records]] in 1991 for the ''Divine'' album.<ref name="Larkin" /> In 1991 he returned to the UK chart with "Tribal Base", a single by [[Rebel MC]] featuring Levy and [[Tenor Fly]], which reached number 20.<ref name="Thompson" /> In 1993, Levy tried to break in the [[United States]] with the ''[[Barrington (album)|Barrington]]'' album, produced by [[Lee Jaffe]], Andre Betts and [[Sly & Robbie]], but it failed to give him the breakthrough he wanted and his relationship with [[MCA Records]] was short-lived.<ref name="Thompson" />

In the 1990s, Levy continued to release periodic hits in Jamaica, and more rarely in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], although his vocals were sampled and used in many underground and released [[Oldschool jungle|jungle]] tunes. On 20 June 1991, he appeared on the BBC One music show ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' alongside [[Rebel MC]] (Congo Natty) and [[Tenor Fly]] as his track "Here I Come" was sampled by Rebel MC, with the record becoming the UK Top 40 hit "Tribal Base".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000yhc2|title=BBC One - Top of the Pops, 20/06/1991|website=BBC|access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref> 

In 1998, he released ''[[Living Dangerously (album)|Living Dangerously]]'', which included a collaboration with one of Jamaica's most prolific [[Deejay (Jamaican)|deejays]], [[Bounty Killer]], and with [[Snoop Dogg]]. The release was one of Levy's most successful since the start of the 1990s, and saw him finally achieve some success in the US.<ref name="Moskowitz" /> Levy performed on two tracks on [[Long Beach Dub All Stars]] 1999 album ''Right Back'', and also played a few shows with the band. He was featured on a 1999 [[song|track]] by the [[Rascalz]] titled "[[Top of the World (Rascalz song)|Top of the World]]", also featuring [[K-os]]. Levy also appeared on two singles by [[rapper]] [[Shyne]] ("[[Bad Boyz]]" and "[[Bonnie & Shyne]]"), and on a track for [[drum and bass]] artist [[Aphrodite (artist)|Aphrodite's]] 2000 album ''Aftershock''. "Here I Come" returned to the charts in 2001, with a new version by Levy and Talisman P reaching number 37 in the UK.<ref name="CS2">"[https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/ Talisman P Meets Barrington Levy] ", Chart Stats, retrieved 2010-07-18</ref>

In 2004, he contributed to a track on the album ''[[White People (album)|White People]]'' by [[Handsome Boy Modeling School]], a project by [[Prince Paul (producer)|Prince Paul]] and [[Dan the Automator]]. He also did some collaborations with [[Slightly Stoopid]] on their 2005 album ''[[Closer to the Sun (Slightly Stoopid album)|Closer to the Sun]]''. Most recently,{{when|date=March 2016}} Levy made a guest appearance on the single "No Fuss" by Red-1 of the [[Rascalz]], from his 2007 album ''Beg For Nothing''.

In September 2013, he released the single "Love the Way She Love", a collaboration with [[Mr. Vegas]], and announced an acoustic album featuring new songs and reworkings of old songs such as "Prison Oval Rock" and "Black Roses".<ref>"[http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131006/ent/ent6.html Levy Releases First Single In 15 Years … Plans Acoustic Album] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006141117/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131006/ent/ent6.html |date=6 October 2013 }}", ''[[Jamaica Gleaner]]'', 6 October 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013</ref> His album, ''Acousticalevy'', was nominated for a [[Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/barrington-levy/19159 |title=Barrington Levy |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=2024-06-22}}</ref>

In 2021, Levy was featured on the [[Gorillaz]] track "Meanwhile" alongside Jelani Blackman.

In 2023, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked Levy at number 119 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=1 January 2023|title=The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-singers-all-time-1234642307/barrington-levy-1234643000/|access-date=9 May 2023|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> He performed on the West Holts stage at [[2023 Glastonbury Festival|that year's Glastonbury Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |title=West Holts Reveals its Glastonbury 2023 Line-Up |url=https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/west-holts-reveals-its-2023-line-up/ |website=Glastonbury Festival |access-date=24 July 2023 |date=14 March 2023}}</ref>

Since 2011 Levy has been working on his album ''Survivor'' (the album originally had the working title ''It's About Time''). In 2017 he released the first single from the album "GSOAT" yet the album remains unreleased.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://unitedreggae.com/news/n1106/113011/it--s-about-time-by-barrington-levy | title=It's About Time by Barrington Levy |website=Unitedreggae.com }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Levy's son [[Krishane]] is also a musician, and is signed to [[Atlantic Records]].<ref>Jackson, Kevin (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Like-father--like-son-_17408833 Like Father, Like Son]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014</ref>

Levy is a [[Rastafari|Rastafarian]].

==Discography==

===Albums===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Album Name !! Year Released !! Label
|-
| ''Bounty Hunter'' || 1979 || Jah Life Records
|-
| ''Shine Eye Gal'' || 1979 || Burning Sounds
|-
| ''Shaolin Temple'' || 1979 || Jah Guidance
|-
| ''[[Englishman (album)|Englishman]]'' || 1979 || [[Greensleeves Records]]
|-
| ''Robin Hood'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/robin-hood-mw0000780119|title=Barrington Levy - Robin Hood |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>|| 1980 || Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''Doh Ray Me'' || 1980 || JB
|-
| ''Run Come Ya!'' || 1981 || Jah Life Records
|-
| ''21 Girls Salute'' || 1982 || Jah Life Record
|-
| ''Poor Man Style'' || 1983 || [[Trojan Records]]
|-
| ''Barrington Levy's Life Style'' || 1983 || GG's
|-
| ''Teach Me Culture'' || 1983 || Live & Learn
|-
| ''Money Move'' || 1983 || Powerhouse
|-
| ''[[Here I Come (album)|Here I Come]]'' || 1984 || Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''Barrington Levy Meets Frankie Paul'' <br /> <small>(with [[Frankie Paul]])</small> || 1984 || Arrival
|-
| ''Barrington Levy'' || 1984 || Clocktower
|-
| ''Prison Oval Rock'' || 1985 || [[Volcano Records]]
|-
| ''Open Book'' || 1985 || [[Tuff Gong Records]]
|-
| ''Clash of the 80s'' <br /><small>(with [[Cocoa Tea]])</small> || 1986 || Cornerstone
|-
| ''Love The Life You Live'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-the-life-you-live-mw0000171406/releases|title=Barrington Levy - Love The Life You Live |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>|| 1988 || Time<br />[[VP Records]]
|-
| ''Live and Learn Presents:  Beres Hammond & Barrington Levy'' <br /><small>(with [[Beres Hammond]])</small> || 1990 || Live and Learn
|-
| ''The Barrington Levy Collection'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-barrington-levy-collection-mw0000609235|title=Barrington Levy - The Barrington Levy Collection |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>|| 1990 || Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''Divine'' || 1991 || [[Island Records]] <Small>(sub. division ''Mango Records'')</small>
|-
| ''Turning Point'' || 1992 || Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''[[Barrington (album)|Barrington]]'' || 1993 || [[MCA Records]]
|-
| ''Time Capsule'' || 1996 || RAS Records
|-
| ''Living Dangerously'' || 1998 || Breakaway Records
|-
| ''Too Experienced: The Best of Barrington Levy'' <br /><small>(compilation album)</small> || 1998 || VP Records
|-
| ''Duets''<br />''DJ Counteraction'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/dj-counteraction-mr0002586252|title=Barrington Levy - DJ Counteraction |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref>|| 1995<br />2000 || [[RAS Records]]<br />Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''Under Me Sensi'' || 2000 || Greensleeves Records
|-
| ''This Is Crucial Reggae: Barrington Levy'' || 2004 || [[RAS Records]] [[Sanctuary Records Group|Sanctuary Records]]
|-
| ''Wanted'' <br /><Small>(CD & DVD)</small> || 2005 || 2B1
|-
| ''Love Your Brother Man: The Early Years'' <br /><small>(compilation album)</small> || 2005 || [[Trojan Records]]
|-
| ''Teach The Youth'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/teach-the-youth-mr0000977636|title=Barrington Levy - Teach the Youth |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> <br /><small>(Compilation album)<br />Charted at number 10 in the [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] Reggae album chart</small> || 2008 || VP Records
|-
| ''Sweet Reggae Music'' <ref>{{cite web|url=https://blackgrooves.org/barrington-levy-sweet-reggae-music/|title=Barrington Levy - Sweet Reggae Music|date=March 2013|publisher=Black Grooves|access-date=12 March 2021|archive-date=14 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014044441/https://blackgrooves.org/barrington-levy-sweet-reggae-music/|url-status=dead}}</ref> <br /><small>(Compilation album)</small><br /> || 2012 || VP Records
|-
| ''Acousticalevy'' || 2015 || DDP
|}

===Singles===
*[[Mini Bus (On the Telephone)]], (1984)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.barringtonlevy.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.unitedreggae.com/artist/d869,barrington-levy-discography Discography]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Barrington}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jamaican dancehall musicians]]
[[Category:Jamaican male songwriters]]
[[Category:Jamaican reggae singers]]
[[Category:Reggae fusion artists]]
[[Category:Jamaican male singers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Trojan Records artists]]
[[Category:MCA Records artists]]
[[Category:VP Records artists]]
[[Category:Greensleeves Records artists]]
[[Category:Jamaican Rastafarians]]