Roots reggae singer and producer Yabby You dies in Kingston

ROOTS REGGAE man Yabby You, who was showcased on such albums as 'Jesus Dread' (1997), 'One Love, One Heart' (2000) and 'Deliver Me From My Enemies' (2006), died of a stroke in Kingston, Jamaica on 12th January 2010. In his obituary in Mojo magazine David Katz wrote, "One of the least conventional figures in a field of music disproportionately populated by eccentrics, vocalist and producer Yabby You released some of the most singular roots reggae ever committed to wax. Although he wore dreadlocks and lived among the Rastafari community of the west Kingston ghettos, Yabby was a committed Christian who contested the divinity of Haile Selassie, leading to the ironic sobriquet, 'Jesus Dread'. Having worked closely with King Tubby, Tommy McCook, Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Augustus Pablo, Yabby's productions bore the hallmark of exceptional musical quality, while his unusual vocal style and the specific subject matter of his lyrics also worked to set his material apart from that of his contemporaries."