|
Wayne Wonder (born Von Wayne Charles,[last= ]) is a Jamaican reggae / R&B artist. Dancehall and reggae styles provided the foundation for Wonder, but his later albums — Schizophrenic and Da Vibe — veered toward hip hop and rap.
BiographyWonder began songwriting at the age of 13 and launched his career when he accepted an invitation to perform at Metro Media in Allman Town. He impressed Sly Dunbar during an audition but Dunbar's commitment to touring with Black Uhuru prevented him from signing the young singer. The turning point in Wonder's career came when he met King Tubby. Under Tubby's direction, Wonder recorded his first single, "Long and Lasting Love," in 1985. Tubby's death shortly afterwards slowed Wonder's progress. He recorded more singles with other record producers at Sonic Sound, but his career only started to improve after reconnecting with Dave Kelly, a primary school friend who had become a sound engineer.
His first hit was "Saddest Day", and he is also known for "Bonafide Love (Movie Star)" featuring Buju Banton. Working with Kelly provided a string of hits including "Saddest Day," "Talk About," "Live and Learn," "Excess Amount," "Glamour Girl," "Sweet and Sour," "Bashment Girl," "Rainbow," "Searching Dem Searching," and "Warm Jamaican Christmas"
. Wonder launched his own record label, Singso, in 2000.
Wonder is most commonly known for the hit song "No Letting Go" released in 2003. The song is based on the Diwali riddim, which was also used by several other artists that year, such as Sean Paul, Lumidee and Missy Elliott. The single reached #11 in the US
"No Letting Go" dominated urban radio in the US, and several compilation albums featuring old Wonder tracks were issued. These included Trojan Records', Inna Bashment Style: The Roots Of An Urban Warrior (2005). Wonder returned with a new album in 2007, when Foreva was released.
DiscographyAlbums- 1987: Wayne Wonder
- 1991: Part 2
- 2000: Da Vibe
- 2001: Schizophrenic
- 2003: No Holding Back
- 2003: You Me And She
- 2004: Grey Skies To Blue
- 2005: Inna Bashment Style: The Roots Of An Urban Warrior
- 2006: ''Don't Have To
- 2006: Original Bombshell
- 2006: Reggae Chronicles
- 2007: Foreva
Singles- 1996: "Something Different"/"The Train is Coming" (Shaggy featuring Wayne Wonder) - UK #21
- 2003: "No Letting Go" - US #11,
[title=Allmusic ((( Wayne Wonder > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))] UK #3 - 2003: "Bounce Along" - UK #19
- 2004: "Hold Me Now" (from the movie, 50 First Dates)
- 2006: "You"
- 2007: "Gonna Love You"
- 2007: "Again"
- 2007: "For My Love" (featuring Trina)
Copyright Citations
This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Wayne Wonder
|
