Staff WriterFor over 25 years, Michael Rose has been recording and performing his brand of militant, hardcore Jamaican music to the delight of reggae fans around the world. As a solo artist, with Black Uhuru and back as a solo artist, the ³Ruff² Rose has achieved great success throughout his career, even as different Jamaican musical styles have phased in and out of popularity.
“Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?…Natty Dreadlocks”, The voice of Michael Rose is one of the most recognizable and widely emulated in reggae music. Since leaving Black Uhuru in 1984, the former front man and creative force of the group has made an amazing comeback. With three albums recorded for Heartbeat Records, and a string of dancehall hits for various Jamaican producers, Rose has established for himself a highly successful solo career.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica on July 11, 1957, Michael was fortunate enough to be introduced to music as a teenager by his older brother Joseph. Blessed with an outstanding voice, Michael Rose would regularly meet in Kingston with singers, musicians, writers, and producers such as Dennis Brown, Big Youth, The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, Sly and Robbie, and others.
His first recordings included the hits “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (Natty Dreadlocks)”, “General Penitentiary,” and “Sensemilla,”. Black Uhuru blazed a trail on the international touring circuit and record charts, culminating with the winning of the first-ever Grammy Award for Reggae in 1985 for the album ³Anthem² with the hallmark voice of Michael Rose in the forefront.
Michael Rose’s solo career returned with a bang into the public eye in 1995 with several singles and his first U.S. solo album simpy titled ³Michael Rose². His hit single “Short Temper” reached #2 on the Gavin Reggae Chart. 1996 was another successful year for Michael Rose as a solo artist, as his second Heartbeat title,²Be Yourself² was released. A brilliant album containing lost material conceived after Michael’s departure from Black Uhuru, ³Be Yourself¹ yielded two Gavin Reggae hits, including the title track and “Rude Boys (Back in Town)”. Michael also headlined Hearbeat’s 15th Anniversary Tour, The Heartbeat Culture Splash, which played 28 cities across The U.S.
Michaels’ popularity continued to grow…at one point, he had three top 30 Gavin Reggae hits! Now in 1998, Michael Rose is one of today’s most in-demand recording artists, voicing hit singles for various Jamaican lables that keeps him hot with his Jamaican fan base. He is recognized as the voice for culture in the dancehall, appealing to both fans of traditional roots reggae and today’s modern dancehall sound. This sound is exemplified in his newest release, ³Dance Wicked.²
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