Lee "Scratch" Perry OD (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter, and singer. He is regarded as a key figure in the development of dub music during the 1970s, particularly through his use of remixing techniques and studio effects to create alternative instrumental and vocal versions of reggae recordings. Over the course of his career, he worked with a wide range of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, The Congos, Max Romeo, The Heptones, Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys, Ari Up, The Clash, and The Orb. Rainford Hugh Perry was born on 20 March 1936 in Kendal, Jamaica, in the parish of Hanover. He was the third child of Ina Davis and Henry Perry. His mother had Yoruba ancestry and passed on elements of African cultural traditions. His parents worked as labourers, and his father later became a professional dancer. Perry left school at the age of 15 and worked in Hanover, including on the construction of the first road in Negril. He later moved to Clarendon, where he became involved in local music and dance scenes and acquired the nickname "The Neat Little Thing". He subsequently relocated to Kingston, where he began working at Studio One. Perry’s musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd’s sound system. At Studio One, he undertook various roles and recorded a number of songs. Following disagreements with Dodd, he moved to work with Joe Gibbs at Amalgamated Records. Similar disputes led him to leave and establish his own label, Upsetter Records, in 1968. His single "People Funny Boy" achieved commercial success in Jamaica and is noted for its early use of sampling and rhythmic elements associated with reggae. Another early recording, "Run for Cover", was directed at Dodd. Between 1968 and 1972, Perry worked with his studio band, the Upsetters, releasing numerous recordings. His instrumental track "The Return of Django" reached the top five in the United Kingdom in 1969. During this period, he developed a reputation for innovative production techniques. In 1970, he produced "Mr. Brown" by Bob Marley and the Wailers, which featured distinctive studio effects. In 1973, Perry established the Black Ark studio in his backyard in Kingston. There, he produced recordings for artists including Junior Byles. He also launched the Black Art label. The studio was equipped with relatively basic technology, but Perry’s production techniques contributed to a distinctive sound. By the late 1970s, both Perry and the studio experienced difficulties, and the Black Ark was eventually destroyed by fire, which Perry later stated he had set himself. Following the closure of the Black Ark in the early 1980s, Perry spent time in the United Kingdom and the United States, performing and recording with various collaborators. In the mid-1980s, he worked with Mark Downie on the album "Battle of Armagideon". In the late 1980s, collaborations with Adrian Sherwood and Mad Professor contributed to a revival in his career. During this period, Perry also stated that he had ceased using alcohol and cannabis. In 1998, Perry appeared as a vocalist on "Dr. Lee, PhD" from the album "Hello Nasty" by Beastie Boys. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for "Jamaican E.T." In 2004, he was ranked number 100 on a list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone. He later performed with a group of Swiss musicians under the name Lee Perry and the White Belly Rats and toured internationally. In 2008, Perry released "Repentance", co-produced with Andrew W.K., and featuring contributions from artists including Moby. Around this period, he also collaborated with Animal Collective and performed at events curated by the group. In 2011, he recorded "Rise Again" with Bill Laswell, which included contributions from Tunde Adebimpe, Sly Dunbar, and Bernie Worrell. Perry continued to release music and collaborate with various artists, including Dubblestandart and Subatomic Sound System, exploring genres such as dubstep. He participated in visual art exhibitions, including "Secret Education" in 2010. Documentary films about his life and work, including "The Upsetter" and "Lee Scratch Perry’s Vision of Paradise", were released during the 2010s. In 2012, Perry collaborated with The Orb on the album "The Orbserver in the Star House". He received the Order of Distinction, Commander class, in Jamaica the same year. He continued touring internationally, including anniversary tours for albums such as "Super Ape" and "Blackboard Jungle Dub". In 2013, he was awarded the Gold Musgrave Medal by the Institute of Jamaica. Perry remained active in recording and performance into the late 2010s. In 2019, he released "Super Ape vs. 緑: Open Door", a collaborative project with Mr. Green. His final recordings included the song "No Bloody Friends", released in August 2021, and the album "Lee 'Scratch' Perry’s Guide to the Universe" with New Age Doom. His final dub production work included contributions to "The Dub Battle" by Sly & Robbie and Roots Radics. Lee "Scratch" Perry died on 29 August 2021. Posthumous releases have included recordings made between 2015 and 2017, issued in 2025 on the album "Mercy" in collaboration with Peter Harris and Fritz Catlin. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_%22Scratch%22_Perry Studio albums Africa's Blood (1971) Battle Axe (1972) Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (1978) The Return of Pipecock Jackxon (1980) Black Ark In Dub (1981) History, Mystery & Prophesy (1984) Satan Kicked the Bucket (1988) Message from Yard (1990) From the Secret Laboratory (1990) Spiritual Healing (1990) Lord God Muzik (1991) The Upsetter and the Beat (1992) Experryments at the Grass Roots of Dub (1995) Who Put the Voodoo Pon Reggae (1996) Technomajikal (1997) Dub Fire (1998) Fire in Dub (1998) On the Wire (2000) Jamaican E.T. (2002) Alien Starman (2003) End of an American Dream (2007) The Mighty Upsetter (2008) Repentance (2008) Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered (2008) The Unfinished Master Piece (2010) Revelation (2010) Master Piece (2012) Back on the Controls (2014) Must Be Free (2016) Science, Magic, Logic (2017) The Black Album (2018) Alien Dub Massive (2019) Rainford (2019) Life of Plants (2019) Heavy Rain (2019) Live in Brighton (2020) Lee Scratch Perry Presents The Full Experience (2020) Heaven (2023) King Perry (2024)