Winston Wright
Birth nameWinston Wright
Born(1943-09-05)September 5, 1943
May Pen, Jamaica
Died18 March 1993(1993-03-18) (aged 49)
Kingston, Jamaica
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Keyboards, vocals

Winston Wright (1943 – 1993) was a Jamaican keyboardist. He was a member of Tommy McCook's Supersonics, and acknowledged as Jamaica's master of the Hammond organ.[1] Winston was born in May Pen, Jamaica on September 5, 1943, and died in Kingston, Jamaica on March 18,1993.[2][3] He attended Glenmuir High School where he learned the organ on an old Clavonette Organ. While he was in school, he played with a local group called the Mercury Band based at the Capri Theatre in May Pen, much to his father's ire.[4] Tommy McCook saw Winston play at this time and he was invited to join the Supersonics, the Treasure Isle house band.

Perhaps Wright's best known work is as the uncredited lead organist on Harry J Allstars' 1969 instrumental hit "The Liquidator". Along with Jackie Jackson, Hux Brown, Gladstone "Gladdy" Anderson, Dougie Bryan, Winston Grennan and Paul Douglas, Winston was a member of a group of top session musicians known as the Dynamites, the Crystalites, the Beverley's All-Stars (or other All-Stars depending, on the producer) that played on countless recording sessions from the late '60s and early '70s.

Wright produced a solo single: "Top Secret", with the B-side "Crazy Rhythm" in 1970.[5]

Having played for Toots and the Maytals from 1968 along with the Dynamites, Winston accompanied Toots with the Dynamites on their numerous tours throughout the 1970s and '80s.

He died of a heart attack on March 18, 1993.

Discography

Singles:

With Herbie Mann

References

  1. ^ Bradley, Lloyd (2000). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. p. 226. ISBN 9780141928173. Harry J, who was there at the beginning with the Beltones, stuck with it to build a sound around the keyboard skills of Winston Wright and Winston Blake (aka Blake Boy) for a string of bubbling instrumentals by Harry J All-Stars or the Jay Boys ..."
  2. ^ David Vlado Moskowitz (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 320–321. ISBN 978-0-313-33158-9.
  3. ^ Black Echoes - Memoriam
  4. ^ Daniel Tannehill Neely (2007). "Mento, Jamaica's Original Music": Development, Tourism and the Nationalist Frame. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-549-58264-9.
  5. ^ Black Music & Jazz Review 1980 - Volume 3 "Winston Wright was the Dynamites' organist, and he also features on recordings by the G.G. All Stars ("African Melody", "Ganga Plane", "Flight 404" and the Folks Bros-inspired "Man From Carolina" are all adequate examples), the Harry J. All ..."
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