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Tier 3 · vertical & regionalfull biography
Dobby Dobson
Person · male · Jamaica · Kingston · born 1942 · died 2020 · recording since 1969
Jamaican reggae singer and record producer (1942-2020)
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Also known as Highland Ralph Dobson · ドビー・ドブソン
Timeline
19 events▣ Album 16◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1940s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: Strange
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography638 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1335279776
Biography
Highland Ralph Dobson OD (5 July 1942 – 21 July 2020) was a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer, nicknamed "The Loving Pauper" after one of his best known songs.
Biography
Dobson began singing while a student at Central Branch School in Kingston and at Kingston College, where he sang in the chapel choir, and successfully took part in Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent contest as a member of The Twilights. While at Kingston College he wrote the doo-wop song "Cry a Little Cry" as a tribute to his biology teacher. He recruited a group of schoolmates from the Delta stream at the college to back him on a recording of the song, under the name the Dobby Dobson and the Deltas; The group included Howard Barrett (who later formed The Paragons). Released by Lyndon and Sonia Pottinger's Tip-Top label in 1959, it topped the RJR charts that year.
Leaving school in 1959, Dobson went on record with Charles Josephs as part of the duo Chuck and Dobby, before becoming a solo artist in the early 1960s, again recording for Pottinger. He later moved on to work with both Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, recording as a member of both The Virtues and The Sheiks, and recorded "Loving Pauper" with Reid, which became his signature tune. Despite his musical success, Dobson kept his job as a salesman and proof-reader for The Jamaica Gleaner. In 1971, he recorded "That Wonderful Sound" for Rupie Edwards, which sold over 40,000 copies in the Caribbean, and was followed up by the equally successful "Endlessly", which was also a minor hit on the UK Singles Chart.
Disappointing album sales led Dobson to move into production, including The Meditations' late 1970s albums Message From The Meditations and Wake Up, as well as early work by Barrington Levy. In 1979, Dobson emigrated to New York City, where he worked in real estate, although he would still occasionally visit the recording studio, and performed at both the Reggae Sunsplash and the Reggae Sumfest festivals. He continued to be popular with international fans, and was still releasing albums.
Dobson was featured in a 2009 3-D documentary called Dobby Dobson: An Interview with Jamaica's Music Ambassador, which had the tagline: "See The Double-D in 3D".
On 6 August 2011, being the 49th anniversary of the country's independence, the Governor-General of Jamaica conferred the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer (OD) upon Dobson, for his contribution to reggae music and representation of Jamaican culture.
He became a born-again Christian and recorded several gospel albums.
Death
Dobson, who had Alzheimer's disease, died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Coral Springs, Florida, on 21 July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.
Albums
Wonderful Sound (1970), Success
Strange (1970), Pama
God Bless Our Love, Straker's
Baby I'm Yours (1977), WIRL/Double-D
Something Old Something New (1977), Double-D
Sweet Dreams (1978), Federal
Dobby Dobson (1978), Gorgon
Oh God, Are You Satisfied (1978), United Artists
Sweet Christmas (1978), Top Ranking (featuring Ringo)
Lovers Roots (198?), Success – split with Rupie Edwards
Nothing But Love Songs Vol.3 (1980), Pioneer International
For Lovers Everywhere (1983), K&K
Sweet Dream Again! Volume 2, Pioneer International
Love You Thru It All, Studio One
History For Lovers (1990), Shelly's
At Last (1994), Angella
If I Only Had Time (1997), Angella
Hide Under The Bed (2001), Innerbeat
Lovers Prayer (2005)
Those Days are Gone (2006)
He Knows My Heart (2008), Dobby Dobson
Tomorrow (2007), Dobby Dobson
Love Songs for Jesus (2008), Dobby Dobson
You Raised Me Up
A Songs For Everyone (2011), MVD
I'm Just a Nobody (2012)
Desperation (2012), Dobby Dobson
i can't breathe (2020), Dobby Dobson
T.N.T (1942), AC/DC
Compilations
Through The Years (1991), Studio One
Best of Dobby Dobson (1997), Super Power
Greatest Hits (1997), Sonic Sounds
The Vintage Series (2000), VP
The Best of Dobby Dobson (2001), TP
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 9 | 54.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 21 | 87.5th |
| Studio albums | 16 | 95.1th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 19 | 93.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 43 | 83.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (21 release groups · 16 studio albums)
Albums · 16
1970 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1StrangeA2CrazyA3Masquerade Is OverA4That Wonderful SoundA5Don’t Make Me OverB1Baby Make It SoonB2What Love Has Joined TogetherB3I Wasn’t Born YesterdayB4Cry a Little CryB5Your New Love1977 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks
A1Oh My God (Are You Satisfied)A2Oh So LonelyA3I’m a Loving PauperA4It Seems to Me I’m LosingB1WonderingB2Mexican DivorceB3EndlesslyB4Your New LoveB5Halfway to Paradise1978 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 32:00
A1Oh God, Are You Satisfied3:57A2Oh So Lonely3:08A3Loving Pauper3:40A4It Seems To Me I'm Losing You4:17B1Halfway To Paradise3:11B2Wondering (Instrumental)3:50B3Mexican Divorce3:25B4Endlessly3:40B5Your New Love2:521978 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks
A1Baby I'm YoursA2When I Need YouA3Out In The Cold AgainA4So FineB1Indeed I Love YouB2Let Me Show YouB3DonnaB4All I Can Say Is GoodbyeB5Oh Wee Baby1978 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 37:41
A1Whispering Bells3:07A2You’re Mine, All Mine3:01A3Oh Gee2:52A4Little Star4:22A5It’s a Miracle3:42A6Sweet Dreams3:45B1Muriel4:12B2Cherie3:05B3Oh Donna3:16B4This Is My Story2:58B5Great Pretender3:211978 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 39:49
A1Mary's Boy Child6:14A2Never Forget Christmas3:34A3Jingle Bells5:10A4Christmas Time5:10B1White Christmas4:34B2Winter Wonderland3:14B3Cold Up North2:49B4Auld Langzyne9:041982 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1SweetheartA2Why Do FoolA3Sea Of LoveA4Waiting For A GirlA5Share Your LoveB1FernandoB2Willow TreeB3Oh NoB4When A Man Loves A WomanB5I Was WrongTo Lovers Everywhere (For Lovers Everywhere)
1983 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 31:12
A1She Believes in Me4:00A2Daddy’s Home3:22A3“If”3:21A4Please Stay4:20B1Dream, Dream, Dream3:47B2Tears on My Pillow3:26B3My Special Prayer5:42B4Let It Be Me3:141984 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 46:06
A1Always on My Mind4:23A2You Are4:28A3Truly3:05A4Easy Loving4:44A5One in a Million5:35B1God Bless Our Love (medley)9:23B2The One You Love4:45B3Shining Star5:12B4Still4:311990 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks
A1Your New LoveA2Don't Know MuchA3Blue RoseA4Can I Trust YouA5On and On6Medley: Seems to Me I'm Losing / Loving Pauper / Words / Endlessly / Halfway to Paradise / Sweeter Than Honey / To All the Girls Loved Before / Oh So Lonely1997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 46:16
1If I Only Had Time4:032Still4:353The Minute You Are Gone3:264Pen in Hand4:305Love You More Than I Can Say3:416Bit by Bit4:137Nobody's Child3:498Have a Good Time3:259Can't Help Myself3:2510How Can a Love Be So Right4:0511She's Gone Again3:5312I Started a Joke3:111998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks
1Pretty Blue2Please Release Me3Sometimes When We Touch4Tell Her I Am Sorry5Jet Plane6Silvias Mother7Green Grass Of Home8Emily9Will You Let Me Hold Your Hand10Go On Home11When I Need Love12Batchelor Boy2006 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 37:49
1Those Days Are Gone4:052Take Time for Jesus4:063Songs Mama Sang4:404I Think I'll Call Him Jesus3:125Home Improvement Man4:146Jesus, My Life Raft3:547I'm a Sacred Work of Art3:508Oh My God (Are You Satisfied)3:559Fire Storm (9-11)1:5010Those Days Are Gone (Dub)4:032007 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 49:26
1Tomorrow5:042No More Tears in Heaven4:103Wonderful World4:014Holy Name of Jesus4:225Jesus Medley 15:066Time to Pray4:377Jesus Medley 26:408Crying in the Chapel3:479Why Me Lord3:1510Wonderful Dub4:0311Holy Name Dub4:212007 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 50:10
1He Knows My Heart4:492You Raise Me Up4:453Thank You Lord for Your Blessings4:074I Have Decided4:265Rivers of Babylon Medley6:176Cant Even Walk5:577Heaven's Sounding Sweeter5:018Take Me Back4:369Daystar5:2510He Knows My Heart Instrumental4:472012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks
1Poor Man's Prayer2Desperation3Loving Pauper (Sly And Robbie Version)4Seems To Me I'm Losing (Sly And Robbie Version)5Wondering When6The Saga Of Sonia And Jean7Someone As Sweet As You8Who's That Man Over There (What Did He Whisper In Your Ear)9Oily Rags10Another Heart Is Gonna Break (When We Say Goodbye)11Sweeter Than Honey
Single · 4
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | StrangeSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:06AStrange2:17 BYour New Love2:49 | 1969 | ||
| 1970 | That Wonderful Sound / I Wasn’t Born YesterdaySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAThat Wonderful Sound BI Wasn’t Born Yesterday | 1970 | ||
| 1971 | Carry that weightSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksACarry that weight BMore weight | 1971 | ||
| 1978 | That Wonderful Sound / My Little Red TopSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracksAThat Wonderful Sound BMy Little Red Top | 1978 |
Album · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Vintage SeriesSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 55:571This Is My Story2:56 2Sweet Dreams3:42 3Muriel4:10 4Words8:02 5Mexican Divorce3:19 6What Love Has Joined Together3:08 7That Wonderful Sound3:24 8Halfway to Paradise3:10 9Loving Pauper3:15 10Seems to Me I'm Losing You3:26 11Cry a Little Cry2:35 12Strange2:16 13Endlessly3:41 14Here Is the Reason3:52 15Diamonds & Pearls2:28 16Baby Make It Soon2:33 | Compilation | 2000 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Dobby Dobson head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 9 | 54.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 21 | 87.5th |
| Studio albums | 16 | 95.1th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 19 | 93.4th |
| Recording span (years) | 43 | 83.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Virtues(band) | — | present |
Where this record comes from
aliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/321da55f-eef1-4189-95a1-f929cf2f8329discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/321da55f-eef1-4189-95a1-f929cf2f8329core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1029381genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1029381seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobby_Dobsonbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobby_Dobson
Why this artist is in the database
- List of reggae musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: no portrait (not displayed: the licence credit is missing)
Wikidata: Q1029381 · MusicBrainz: 321da55f-eef1-4189-95a1-f929cf2f8329
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