Dobby Dobson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Highland Ralph Dobson |
| Born | (1942-07-05)5 July 1942 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died | 21 July 2020(2020-07-21) (aged 78) Coral Springs, Florida, US |
| Genres | Rocksteady,Reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, record producer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–2020 |
| Labels | Blue Cat,Capo |
Highland Ralph DobsonOD (5 July 1942[1][2] – 21 July 2020) was a Jamaicanreggae singer and record producer, nicknamed "The Loving Pauper" after one of his best known songs.[3]
Dobson began singing while a student at Central Branch School in Kingston and at Kingston College, where he sang in the chapel choir, and successfully took part inVere JohnsOpportunity Hour talent contest as a member of The Twilights.[4][5][6] While at Kingston College he wrote thedoo-wop song "Cry a Little Cry" as a tribute to his biology teacher.[6] He recruited a group of schoolmates from the Delta stream at the college to back him on a recording of the song, under the name the Dobby Dobson and the Deltas;[7] The group included Howard Barrett (who later formedThe Paragons).[6] Released by Lyndon andSonia Pottinger's Tip-Top label in 1959, it topped the RJR charts that year.[6][5]
Leaving school in 1959, Dobson went on record with Charles Josephs as part of the duo Chuck and Dobby, before becoming a solo artist in the early 1960s, again recording for Pottinger.[3][5] He later moved on to work with bothCoxsone Dodd andDuke Reid, recording as a member of both The Virtues and The Sheiks,[8] and recorded "Loving Pauper" with Reid, which became his signature tune.[6] Despite his musical success, Dobson kept his job as a salesman and proof-reader forThe Jamaica Gleaner. In 1971, he recorded "That Wonderful Sound" forRupie Edwards, which sold over 40,000 copies in the Caribbean, and was followed up by the equally successful "Endlessly", which was also a minor hit on theUK Singles Chart.[3]
Disappointing album sales led Dobson to move into production, includingThe Meditations' late 1970s albumsMessage From The Meditations andWake Up,[3] as well as early work byBarrington Levy.[6] In 1979, Dobson emigrated to New York City, where he worked in real estate, although he would still occasionally visit the recording studio, and performed at both theReggae Sunsplash and theReggae Sumfest festivals.[3] He continued to be popular with international fans, and was still releasing albums.
Dobson was featured in a 20093-D documentary calledDobby Dobson: An Interview with Jamaica's Music Ambassador, which had the tagline: "See The Double-D in 3D".
On 6 August 2011, being the 49th anniversary of the country's independence, theGovernor-General of Jamaica conferred theOrder of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) upon Dobson, for his contribution to reggae music and representation of Jamaican culture.[6][9]
He became a born-again Christian and recorded several gospel albums.[6]
Dobson, who had Alzheimer's disease, died fromCOVID-19 at a hospital inCoral Springs, Florida, on 21 July 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Florida.[10][11]
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