Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson Passes Away

Reggae Legend Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson passes Away today September 1st 2009.


Clevie (left) & Steely (right)


Truly unique, Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson was not only one of the pioneers of Reggae, but also a gentleman in every sense of the word, and he has departed from us today after three decades of his groundbreaking music talents with Jamaican and international artists. He will be sadly missed by all those who knew him, either personally or through his music.


Steely started his musical journey as the original keyboard player with the Roots Radics Band which backed Gregory Isaacs, Bunny Wailer and numerous artists both on tour and in the recording studio. Steely, along with his musical partner Cleveland “Clevie” Browne, played on a large number of hit recordings for various producers in the mid 70s to early 80's. Their extensive discography includes the ever popular Dawn Penn's 1992 rendition of “No, No,No (You Don't Love Me)”. Together as producers, they have contributed to a gamut of musicians such as; No Doubt, Billy Ocean, Back Street Boys, Heavy D & The Boyz, Buju Banton, Capleton, Maxi Priest, Jimmy Cliff, Gregory Isaacs, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Mr. Vegas, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, Lady Saw, , Barrington Levy to name a few. They left an indelible mark by launching ‘Steely & Clevie’ imprint in 1988 and later a burgeoning record label called Studio 2000. Their resounding impact can be found on various international charts including the coveted Billboard charts. Steely’s death has resonated throughout the Reggae fraternity worldwide.


Funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced.




Download This Press Release





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