A celebrated Studio One voice and an essential figure of the Jamaican music scene, Sugar Minott died on the evening of Saturday 10 July, aged 54. He had been in hospital since May with heart problems.
A native of the ghettos of West Kingston, Lincoln “Sugar” Minott embodied the whole diversity of Jamaican music on his own: a soft, honeyed voice, which earned him his nickname, perfectly suited to soul and love songs, realistic and rasta lyrics, all backed by a dancehall attitude that stuck to him.
A former member of the group African Brothers, where he worked alongside Tony Tuff, Sugar Minott joined Studio One at the end of the 1970s, just as the label was looking to relaunch itself. There he recorded the classic "Live loving" in 1978, then "Showcase", on riddims from the label's great days.
The same year, he threw himself into production and set up his own labels Black Roots and Youth Promotion (also the name of his sound system, which rivalled the biggest at the time). Prolific, he also made a point of putting young artists forward and promoting the culture of the “sufferers” that he knew so well. Proof of this can be heard in his first self-produced single Man hungry or the excellent Ghetto-ology. He is responsible for classic singles such as Junior Reid's Original foreign man, which launched his career, or Tenor Saw's Lots of sign (“Sugar was like a father to him”, producer George Phang told us). The young Little John, Tristan Palmer, Ranking Joe, Michael Palmer, Barry Brown and Ranking Dread were also part of Sugar's inner circle.
“Booga” Minott, as he was also nicknamed, always answered the call of other producers: Joseph Hookim at Channel One, at the end of the 1970s, George Phang, Wackies in New York, in the 1980s… He enjoyed great popularity in England, helping to establish the “lovers rock” style that was taking its first steps.
Less productive in the digital era (a few good platters still came out of Jammy’s), Sugar devoted himself to the stage and toured the world. In 2002, with the French outfit Zenah Music, he recorded one of his last albums, "Leave out Babylon", a roots opus unanimously praised by the critics. We also had the honour of welcoming him as a special guest at the Paris Sound Club night in 2005, one of the first events organised by Reggaefrance. His very last album, "New day", came out in 2008.
Beyond an enormous musical legacy, Jamaica and reggae fans have lost an endearing, simple and humble character, a true lover of dancehall culture. Sporting a legendary “ghetto smile” (toothless grin), Sugar was untouchable in Jamaica: he always enjoyed enormous respect on the streets of Kingston, staying true to his roots, close to his audience and working for his community.