Yabby You

All Music Guide:

Yabby You was born Vivian Jackson in a Kingston ghetto. By the time he was 17, Jackson was so malnourished that he had to be hospitalized. He was eventually left with severe arthritis and crippled legs. While he could not work, he had musical talent and -- taking his cues from divine inspiration that he felt came from the sounds of nature around him (and the help of friends) -- founded a harmony trio, the Prophets, in 1972. They made their single debut with "Conquering Lion," a classically styled reggae song with a deeply personal message. They made a few more singles and eventually they all appeared on Jackson's debut album, Conquering Lion. Throughout the decade, he recorded frequently on his Prophet label. He was closely affiliated with King Tubby, whose dubs often appeared on the B-sides of Jackson's singles. It was Tubby who gave Jackson his famous nickname, Yabby You. Some of Yabby You's better-known albums from this period include Chant Down Babylon Kingdom (1976) and Deliver Me from My Enemies (1977).

When not recording his own material, Yabby You launched the careers of other new singers including Michael Prophet, Wayne Wade, and Tony Tuff. He also began producing the early recordings of such performers as Willie Williams, Ras I-buna, and Half Pint. A Yabby You-produced recording usually featured a distinctive bassline combined with organs, horns, and soaring harmonies that he used to create a meditative, spiritual atmosphere. He continued recording steadily through the mid-'80s, and then abruptly stopped after a 1985 North American tour with his backup band, the Gladiators. He often needed crutches to perform. He recorded after that but nothing was released, so, in essence, Yabby You disappeared until 1991 when some of those recordings began to emerge. After that, he resurfaced and began releasing new and old material again. In 2000 he released a singles remix project with Glen Brown; the album included a remix of "Conquering Lion" by Smith & Mighty. Yabby You died on January 12, 2010, from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Wikipedia:

Vivian Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.

Biography

Jackson was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1946. One of seven children, Jackson left home at the age of twelve to find work at a furnace in Waterhouse. At seventeen, the effects of malnutrition had left him hospitalized, and on his release he was left with severe arthritis which had partially crippled his legs. His physical condition meant that he was unable to return to his previous work, and he was forced into hustling a living on the streets of Kingston.

His Christian beliefs were markedly different from that of his Rastafarian contemporaries, which often prompted debate on religio-philosophical matters, and it was after one of these discussions that Jackson first headed towards a recording studio, having heard music "like a strange ting, inside a my thoughts - like an angel a sing".

Another spell in hospital meant that finding money for recording was difficult, but eventually the "Conquering Lion" single was released late in 1972, credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Ralph Brothers'. Cut for King Tubby, the popularity of the song and its distinctive introduction (the chant of "Be-you, yabby-yabby-you") earned Jackson the nickname "Yabby You", which has remained with him during his entire career.

The next few months saw the recording of several more singles, released under different names on various record labels, (although usually credited to 'Vivian Jackson and the Prophets', and often featuring a King Tubby 'version' on the b-side); culminating in the release of the Conquering Lion album. A King Tubby mixed dub set, King Tubby's Prophesy of Dub, was also issued, albeit on a limited run of 500 copies, helping to establish Jackson as a roots artist.

Yabby's success allowed him to branch out as a producer, and he began working with both upcoming and more established artists including Wayne Wade, Michael Rose, Tommy McCook, Michael Prophet, Big Youth, Trinity, Dillinger and Tapper Zukie, while continuing to release his own material.

Jackson continued to record, produce and perform (often with the aid of crutches) until the mid 1980s. He re-emerged in the early 1990s, issuing both new and old material, and his recordings have been the subject of several high quality reissues in recent years. In 2000 he released a singles remix project with Glen Brown. The album included remixes of "Conquering Lion" by Smith and Mighty, and a remix of Glen Brown by Small Axe and Terminal Head.

He died on 12 January 2010, aged 63, after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm.