Larry Marshall

Jamaican reggae singer, who recorded both as a solo artist and as part of the duos Larry & Alvin and Larry & Enid.

Born December 17th, 1941, in the district of Lawrence Hall in rural St. Ann, Jamaica, and passed away on August 24th, 2017.

He recorded his first song with label Top Deck in 1962. In 1967, Larry Marshall went over to Coxsone Records where he was placed in a group dubbed [a=The Checkmates] by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd. After recording 3 songs Larry Marshall left Coxsone due to lack of control. After leaving Coxsone he recorded "I've Got another Girl, "Dark End of the Street" & "Judge Dread" with Prince Buster.

In 1968 Larry Marshall moved over to Studio One where, in collaboration with Alvin Leslie, he recorded "Nanny Goat", "Mean Girl" & "Your Love". This period of Larry Marshall's work is credited as being a starting point for the reggae sound.

By the end of 1973, disputes over royalties and other growing tensions resulted in Larry Marshall's departure from Studio One.

The classic singles "I Admire You" and "Can't You Understand" were then issued on Carl Patterson's Black and White label (both with stunning dub versions by King Tubby), but further financial disputes led Larry to venture more fully into self-production through the formation of the Amanda label and completion of the "I Admire You"-album which saw release in small quantities by Larry in Jamaica and in the UK on the Java label in 1975.