Bob Andy

Biography

Keith Anderson (28 October 1944 – 27 March 2020), better known by the stage name Bob Andy, was a Jamaican reggae vocalist and songwriter. He was widely regarded as one of reggae's most influential songwriters.

Early life

Anderson was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in October 1944, where his mother worked at Up-Park Camp. At the age of seven he moved to live with his grandmother in Westmoreland. After his grandmother died, his mother gave him away, and he was subject to beatings at the hands of his adoptive parents.
After several years he returned to Kingston to help look after one of his siblings, but to escape beatings from his mother, he tried to get a place at Maxfield Park children's home by telling them that his mother had died. They both ended up in court, where he was made a ward of the state and returned to Maxfield Park. At the home, he taught himself to play piano, and began singing in the Kingston Parish Church choir. In the local scout troop he met Tyrone Evans, with whom he formed the Binders.

Career

Bob Andy was one of the founding members of The Paragons, along with Tyrone Evans and Howard Barrett, with John Holt later joining briefly before being replaced by Vic Taylor. Andy left after Holt rejoined and worked for Studio One delivering records and songwriting before embarking on a solo career.
His first solo hit record in 1967, "I've Got to Go Back Home", was followed by "Desperate Lover", "Feeling Soul", "Unchained", and "Too Experienced". He also composed songs for other reggae artists, including "I Don't Want to See You Cry" for Ken Boothe, and "Feel Like Jumping", "Truly", and "Melody Life" for Marcia Griffiths. He had several hits in the late 1960s, including "Going Home", "Unchained", "Feeling Soul", "My Time", "The Ghetto Stays in the Mind", and "Feel the Feeling". Some of these, and his 1992 hit, "Fire Burning×Fire Burning1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks1The Way I Feel2:132Games People Play3:003Sun Shines for Me2:104Weep2:145Peace of Mind2:526Lay Lady Lay3:337Young Gifted and Black3:178It Ain't Me Babe2:479Ain't Nothing Like the Reel Thing2:3010Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You2:5011United We Stand2:4812A Rockin' Good Way3:0713You Don't Know3:1914We Want to Know2:3615One Woman3:2416He's a Cousin of Mine2:3817Let's Fall in Love2:5118Save Me2:2919Pied Piper2:4420Life3:4421Honey Child3:0422Fire Burning3:35", have come to be regarded as reggae standards and several have been covered several times by other artists.
In the early 1970s, he recorded with Marcia Griffiths as Bob and Marcia, initially for Studio One, but later under producer "Harry J" Johnson's tutelage. They had a major hit in the UK with "Young, Gifted and Black" (with orchestral backing added for the UK market) and spent time there promoting it, touring with Elton John and Gilbert O'Sullivan. When the tour ended they were still not getting any money, and were told by people in England that Harry J had got the cash. They returned to Jamaica. Andy said "when we left Jamaica, Harry J did not have a studio. When we came back, he had a studio and a brand new Benz."
He continued without Johnson's involvement and returned to the UK, where he recorded "Pied Piper×Pied Piper1971 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1We Know2One Woman3I Don't Care4Strange World5You Are Mine6He's A Cousin Of Mine7Pied Piper8Let's Fall In Love9See You My Love10But I Do11Save Me12Your Love" with Griffiths and they toured again. "Pied Piper" gave them another top 20 hit, but the duo was dissolved when Griffiths joined the I Threes.
Disillusioned with the industry, in 1978 Andy put his music career on hold and after attending creative dancing classes with the Jamaica School of Dance (now the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts), concentrated on his career as an actor, starring in the films Children of Babylon in 1980, and The Mighty Quinn (1989). He relocated to London, where he worked as a producer and recorded with Mad Professor, for whom he recorded a dub version of his Song Book album. Later, Andy moved to Miami.
In 1997 he released a new album, Hangin' Tough, produced by Willie Lindo.
Andy toured Africa for the first time in 2005, performing at the Bob Marley 60th birthday concert in Addis Ababa, and while in Ethiopia also sang at the President's Palace and gave benefit concerts for the Twelve Tribes organization at the Rastafari movement settlement at Shashamane.
The Jamaican government conferred the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) on Andy in October 2006 for his contributions to the development of Jamaican music.
In March 2015, Andy was mugged on Mona Road in St. Andrew and robbed of JA$50,000 and two cellphones, the assailant slashing his left arm with a knife in the attack.
The late Michael Prophet cited Andy as his main influence as a singer.
Andy died of pancreatic cancer on 27 March 2020, aged 75.

Albums

Bob Andy's Song Book (1970), Studio One
Lots of Love and I (1978), High Note
Friends (1983), I-Anka
Freely (1988), I-Anka
Bob Andy's Dub Book (1994), I-Anka
Hanging Tough (1997), VP
Reggae Land (2006), Upstairs Music

Compilations
Retrospective (1986), I-Anka
Songbook (1988), Studio One
Fire Burning (1995), Sanctuary

Bob and Marcia
Young Gifted and Black (1970), BMG / Sanctuary
Pied Piper (1971), Trojan

Cover versions of Bob Andy songs
We Remember Bob Andy (2023), VP

Songwriting credits

"Check It Out" – Tony Rebel
"Feel Like Jumping" – Marcia Griffiths
"Fire Burning×Fire Burning1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks1The Way I Feel2:132Games People Play3:003Sun Shines for Me2:104Weep2:145Peace of Mind2:526Lay Lady Lay3:337Young Gifted and Black3:178It Ain't Me Babe2:479Ain't Nothing Like the Reel Thing2:3010Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You2:5011United We Stand2:4812A Rockin' Good Way3:0713You Don't Know3:1914We Want to Know2:3615One Woman3:2416He's a Cousin of Mine2:3817Let's Fall in Love2:5118Save Me2:2919Pied Piper2:4420Life3:4421Honey Child3:0422Fire Burning3:35" – Tony Rebel, Marcia Griffiths
"Half Idiot" – Cutty Ranks
"I've Got to Go Back Home" – Freddie McGregor
"Melody Life" – Steely & Clevie
"My Time" – Gregory Isaacs, Barrington Levy, Ocean Colour Scene
"Peace of Mind" – Harry J & His Friends
"Really Together" – Jeb Loy Nichols
"The Right Track" – Mickey General
"Too Experienced" – The Bonedaddys, Ms. Dynamite
"Unchained" – Sanchez