Biography of Junior Byles

Although not mentioned in the same breath with some of the other great voices in reggae (e.g., Winston "Burning Spear" Rodney, Toots Hibbert, and Culture's Joseph Hill), Junior Byles, whose best music was recorded over two decades ago, belongs in such lofty company. Sadly, what he is perhaps best remembered for is his unpredictable, bizarre behavior, the result of chronic depression -- depression so severe that it saw his career go from the top of the Jamaican charts in the mid-'70s, to living on the streets, scavenging in dumpsters for food in the late '80s. Born Kerrie Byles, Jr. in Kingston, Jamaica in 1948, Byles grew up in a ghetto section of the city known as Jonestown. As a youth he began singing in the church, as well as imitating the vocal styles of his favorite reggae singers (the Maytals, the Wailers, and the Techniques) and American performers such as Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, and Johnny Cash. In the late '60s, Byles put together his own vocal group (based on the Maytals) called the Versatiles. While auditioning for a spot in the Kingston-based Festival Song Competition, the band came into contact with Lee "Scratch" Perry, who was looking for acts for his new label Amalgamated, owned by reggae legend Joe Gibbs. Impressed, Perry produced their first session, but soon left Amalgamated after an acrimonious split with Gibbs. After a year working with Gibbs, Byles and the other Versatiles were unhappy with the financial arrangements and sought out Perry. The group split up in 1970, and Byles embarked on a furiously creative period with Perry at the controls. It was during this time with Perry at his Black Ark Studios that Byles recorded his signature song, "Curly Locks," as well as other Jamaican hits such as "Beat Down Babylon" and "Place Called Africa." The success for these records meant considerable profits for both Byles and Perry, and along with the early Perry-produced Bob Marley & the Wailers sides, solidified Black Ark's status as the hippest recording studio on the island. However, it was not long before Byles, as well as Perry, became more unpredictable in their behavior; Byles, especially, slipped into deep funks for extended periods, and was virtually incommunicado with friends and other musicians. In 1975 Byles attempted suicide upon hearing of the death of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (the earthly God of Rastafarians), and was hospitalized for mental illness. Although plagued by depression, he continued to record into the '80s, even after he was homeless and penniless. Song royalties never seemed to make their way to Byles, but did manage to line the pockets of unscrupulous producers and record label owners (Lee Perry is not in either category). And if living in abject poverty wasn't bad enough, in rapid succession Byles endured the death of his mother and the emigration of his wife and children to America. He released his last album, Rasta No Pickpocket in 1982; by the end of the 1980s it was not uncommon to see him begging for food in the streets of Kingston. Although he hasn't released an album in over 15 years, Byles has recorded tracks with Winston "Niney the Observer" Holness. If there is anything remotely approaching a happy ending to this story, it is that Rounder Records, through its reggae label Heartbeat, released an anthology entitled Curly Locks, 22 tracks of Byles' best work, produced by Lee Perry. ~ John Dougan