Photo: Alyssa Tomfohrde from Oakland, usa · CC BY 2.0 · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Jimmy Riley
Person · male · Jamaica · Kingston · born 1954 · died 2016 · recording since 1978
Jamaican musician (1954–2016)
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Listen on SpotifyYouTube Music
Also known as Jimmey Riley · 吉米·萊利
Timeline
18 events▣ Album 15◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1950s
1970s
· Debut release
Debut release: Showcase
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography418 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1363925235
Biography
Martin James Ziggy Norman Riley (22 May 1947 – 23 March 2016), better known as Jimmy Riley, was a Jamaican singer who in addition to recording solo was also a member of the Sensations and The Uniques and was the father of Tarrus Riley.
Biography
Martin James Ziggy Norman Riley, also known as Jimmy Riley, was born in Jonestown, Kingston, Jamaica, on 22 May 1947 to Leanora Riley and Alfred Riley. Riley grew up in the city's Waterhouse district and attended Kingston Senior School along with Slim Smith. When Smith had success in The Techniques, Riley hung around with the group hoping to join, but was limited to carrying things for them and helping out with harmonies. He decided to form his own group, The Sensations, along with Cornell Campbell, Buster Riley (brother of The Techniques' Winston Riley), and Aaron "Dego" Davis. The Sensations had a successful audition for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid, and the group had mid-1960s success with "Everyday is Just a Holiday" and "Those Guys". On leaving the group in 1967, Riley joined Smith and Lloyd Charmers in the re-formed Uniques, having huge success with songs such as "Watch This Sound" and "My Conversation".
When the Uniques split up, Riley initially recorded as a solo artist for Bunny Lee before moving away to record independently. He began producing his own recordings and others by artists such as Slim Smith and Delroy Wilson. He had several hits in the 1970s, including "Tell The Youths The TruthTell The Youths The TruthSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Tell the Youths the TruthA2Give Thanks and PraiseA3The PriceA4Nyah BingiA5Feeling Is BelievingB1Change Your WaysB2Statue of a FoolB3Somebody Told MeB4Majority RuleB5Hard-Headed Israelites", "Nyah Bingi", and "Clean up the Streets", and continued to be successful in the 1980s, working with Sly & Robbie's Taxi productions. In 1983, Riley topped the UK reggae chart with his version of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing". In the late 1980s, Riley moved to Miami, and put his career on hold, but returned to Jamaica in the early 1990s.
Riley's son Tarrus followed him into music and the success of Tarrus gave a boost to Jimmy's career. They performed together several times, headlining a number of festivals including the Ocho Rios Seafood Festival in 2007. Jimmy Riley's album release in 2008 Sly and Robbie Presents Jimmy Riley: Pull Up SelectorPull Up SelectorSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1When She Was My Girl2Pull Up Selector3Love and Devotion4My Woman's Love5Wish It Would Rain6Give Me Your Love7I Try8Sexual Healing9Black Mother Pray10It's Growing11Daughters12Every Body Needs Somebody to Love13You Will Loose a Precious Love14I Am Gonna Make You Love Me15Delicious16Choking Kind saw him again working with Sly & Robbie, and features Tarrus on the title track, which was also released as a single in 2008.
In September 2013, he released the album Contradiction, that featured guest appearances from his son Tarrus, Sizzla, and Fantan Mojah.
He died on the morning of 23 March 2016 in New York from cancer, aged 68.
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 | 19 | 86.7th |
| Studio albums | 15 | 94.6th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 18 | 93th |
| Recording span (years) | 37 | 76.5th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (19 release groups · 15 studio albums)
Albums · 15
1978 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks
A1Nyah-Bingi / VersionA2Clean Up the Streets / VersionA3Come to Me / VersionB1A You / VersionB2Don't Leave Me This Way / VersionB3Tell the Youths the Truth / Version 31978 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1Majority Rule for AfricaA2Tell the Youths the TruthA3Somebody Told MeA4I'm Yours, You're MineA5Everything's Coming Up LoveB1Rise and WorkB2Love You MadlyB3Play PlayB4Gunman of J.A.B5Channel One Crash1978 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 32:20
A1Majority Rule2:52A2Tell the Youths the Truth3:35A3Somebody Told Me3:40A4I'm Yours Your Mine2:05A5Everything's Coming Up Love3:25B1Rise & Work3:35B2Love You Madly3:48B3Play Play2:35B4Gunman of J.A.3:10B5Channel One Crash3:351978 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1Majority RuleA2Somebody Told MeA3I'm Yours You're MineA4ExploitationA5Rise And WorkB1Love You MadlyB2Play PlayB3Gun Man Of J.A.B4Channell One CrashB5Majority Rule Dub1979 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1Tell the Youths the TruthA2Give Thanks and PraiseA3The PriceA4Nyah BingiA5Feeling Is BelievingB1Change Your WaysB2Statue of a FoolB3Somebody Told MeB4Majority RuleB5Hard-Headed Israelites1981 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 36:52
A1Love & Devotion4:10A2My Woman's Love3:38A3I Wish It Would Rain3:53A4Everybody Needs Somebody to Love3:39A5You'll Lose a Precious Love4:24B1Give Me Your Love3:48B2I'm Gonna Make You Love Me3:12B3I Try4:02B4Delicious3:09B5The Choking Kind2:571982 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks
A1Since I Fell For YouA2Poor ImmigrantsA3Sweet SensimilliaA4Put The People FirstB1Feel FreeB2Behave YourselfB3Girls Like DirtB4Let Love Be Strong1984 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks
A1Love on the SideA2Someone to LoveA3Every Time You Go AwayA4A Love With GuaranteeB1It's Too HotB2Let Them FreeB3MagicB4Stay Together1989 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 36:07
A1Everybody3:28A2Give Love a Chance3:32A3I Want to Be Loved3:22A4Love Won't Let Me Wait3:21A5Come Back Baby3:33B1Black Is Black3:33B2I Can't Go On3:05B3One More Try4:57B4My Richness Is Love3:36B5Mexican Divorce3:401992 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks
A1PraisesA2Love JahA3I See You With HimA4Stairway to HeavenA5I'll Do AnythingB1Rougher YetB2Life Is No Bed of RosesB3Consider MeB4More Than a MillionB5Love Fa Real1998 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks
A1You Satisfy MeA2Rise UpA3Rescue MeA4Be ThereA5Desperate MeasuresA6One a DayB1I Want to Be AroundB2OverstandingB3She LyingB4Blessed Be the FatherB5Keep the FaithB6Think Before You Talk2000 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks
1Love And Devotion2My Woman's Love3I Wish It Would Rain4Everybody Needs Somebody To Love5You'll Loose A Precious Love6Give Me Your Love7I'm Gonna Make You Love Me8Sexual Healing9Bang Bang10I Try11Delicious12The Choking Kind2002 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks
1Live It Up2Rastaman3The World Is For Everyone4Turning Point5Sons Of Zion6Negative Bow7Are You Lonely8Dance With Me9Look What You've Done10If You Stay11Can I Take You Out Tonight12Me Love Woman13The Next Move2011 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks
1Loving You2Kindness for Weakness3Only Jah4We Are Amazed5Dance With Me6Strong Argument7Love Woman8Power Glory9Thug Life10Try Your Best11Every Day12You Too Frisky13Cheeze14Passion for Fashion2015 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 21 tracks · 1:19:25
1Love and Devotion3:302Change3:333You Stop Loving Me3:504Sun Again4:115It's All About Love4:016Back at One3:407Conversation3:478Desperate Measures3:439Whose Wisdom3:5010I Want to Be Around3:3511Rescue Me3:4912Grow More3:4413Watch This Sounds4:0214Keep the Faith3:1515Everliving Life3:4716You're All That3:3717Can't Stop Now3:5318Just Like a River4:0119I'm Staying3:5620Get It While It's Hot4:0321Amaze3:38
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Tell the Youth the TruthSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 3:32ATell the Youth the Truth3:32 BTell the Youth the Truth (version) | 1978 |
Album · 2
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Pull Up SelectorSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks1When She Was My Girl 2Pull Up Selector 3Love and Devotion 4My Woman's Love 5Wish It Would Rain 6Give Me Your Love 7I Try 8Sexual Healing 9Black Mother Pray 10It's Growing 11Daughters 12Every Body Needs Somebody to Love 13You Will Loose a Precious Love 14I Am Gonna Make You Love Me 15Delicious 16Choking Kind | Compilation | 2008 | |
| 2015 | Live It to Know ItSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 17 tracks · 1:07:581Gunman of JA3:17 2Gunman of JA (King Tubby’s dub plate mix)3:58 3Jackit3:08 4Westcoat3:23 5Nyah‐Bingi (extended mix)5:00 6From the Ghetto3:16 7From the Ghetto (version)3:17 8Feeling Is Believing3:09 9Feeling Is Believing (version)3:25 10Give Thanks and Praise (extended mix)7:22 11Tell the Youths the Truth (extended mix)4:16 12Majority Rule2:55 13Majority Rule (version)3:22 14Bridge the Gap (extended mix)7:33 15Everyone Needs Money3:26 16Everyone Needs Money (version)3:31 17Poor Immigrant3:40 | Compilation | 4 March 2015 |
Other · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Everybody Needs MoneySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 4 tracksA1Everybody Needs Money A2Everybody Needs Money Version B1Reggae Music B2Reggae Music Version | 4 March 2015 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Jimmy Riley head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 9 | 54.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 19 | 86.7th |
| Studio albums | 15 | 94.6th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 18 | 93th |
| Recording span (years) | 37 | 76.5th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Uniques(band) | — | present |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JimmyRiley.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6ccbd8db-2e23-4a64-a865-420e4a8e507fdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6ccbd8db-2e23-4a64-a865-420e4a8e507fcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3179118genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3179118seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Rileybiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Riley
Why this artist is in the database
- List of reggae musicians
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Alyssa Tomfohrde from Oakland, usa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q3179118 · MusicBrainz: 6ccbd8db-2e23-4a64-a865-420e4a8e507f
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