Baby Wayne (13 December 1969 – 28 October 2005), born Wayne Parkinson, was a Jamaican dancehall artist known for his conscientious lyrics.

Baby Wayne
Born13 December 1969
OriginSt. Catherine, Jamaica
Died28 October 2005 (aged 37)
GenresDancehall
Instrumentvocals
Years active1990s
LabelsHeartbeat, VP

Biography

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Parkinson was born in 1968 in Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica.[1] He initially became known for his conscientious lyrics, warning of the perils of a life of crime, which were unusual at the time,[2] although he later recorded some tracks that made concessions to the slackness that was popular with audiences.[1] He worked with producers Steely & Clevie in the early 1990s, with whom he had a hit in 1991 with "Mama".[1] Other hits from the early 1990s included "Road Mi Waan Come" and "Warder".[1] In 1993 he recorded "Mi Know Mi Fren" with Leroy Smart (produced by Winston "Niney" Holness), which was a top ten hit in Jamaica.[1] Holness secured a deal for Wayne with Heartbeat Records for the release of his debut album, Ram DJ, in 1994.[1] The album included guest appearances from Sugar Minott and Dennis Brown.[1] In 1995 he worked with producer Lloyd Dennis and had further success with "Tongue Make Not".[1]

He died on 28 October 2005 at the Kingston Public Hospital from complications of pneumonia, leaving seven children.[3]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p.17
  2. ^ Wynn, Ron "Ram DJ Review", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  3. ^ Ledgister, Fabian (2005) "Baby Wayne Dead Archived 31 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Star, 29 October 2005