Editing Sugar Minott (section)

==Biography==
After working as a selector on the ''Sound of Silence Keystone'' [[Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system]], and then his own ''Gathering of Youth'' system, he began his singing career as part of [[The African Brothers]] in 1969, along with [[Tony Tuff]] and Derrick Howard.<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Gleaner" /> The group released several singles in the first half of the 1970s on labels such as Micron and their own Ital label, and were an early example of the [[Rastafari movement]]'s influence on the [[Music of Jamaica|Jamaican music]] scene, taking a clear lead from [[The Abyssinians]].<ref name="Barrow" /> After recording "Mysterious Nature" for producer [[Rupie Edwards]], the group recorded 1974's "No Cup No Broke" for [[Studio One (record label)|Studio One]], breaking up shortly after.<ref name="Thompson" />
Minott then teamed up with the producer [[Coxsone Dodd|Clement "Coxsone" Dodd]], as studio apprentice at Dodd's Studio One, working as a singer, guitarist and percussionist, and soon began recording his own singles.<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin: "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, 1998, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}</ref> Minott developed a talent for writing new songs to fit over existing rhythms (which at the time was common when singers performed live, but rare in the studio), often proving more popular than the original songs, pioneering an approach that would be central to the emerging [[dancehall]] style.<ref name="Peru" /><ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Gleaner">{{cite web|last1=Black|first1=Roy|title=Sugar Minott A Dancehall Pioneer|url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20180527/music-diaries-sugar-minott-dancehall-pioneer|website=Jamaica Gleaner|accessdate=30 May 2018|date=28 May 2018}}</ref>

After a number of moderately successful hits for Studio One, such as "Vanity", "Hang On Natty", "Mr. DC", and "Jah Jah Children", his debut LP ''Live Loving'' made his name and increased his popularity, and is regarded as pioneering the dancehall style that would dominate the early 1980s.<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Larkin" /> It was followed in 1979 with a second album, ''Showcase'', which included his singles that had been omitted from the first album.

The ''Bittersweet'' album followed, and then the third album of 1979, ''Ghetto-ology'', which saw a return to [[roots reggae]]. ''Roots Lovers'' (1980) saw a move towards [[lovers rock]], which was a UK hit. He became a bigger star in the UK than in Jamaica, his self-produced "Hard Time Pressure" being a major UK reggae hit in 1980, leading Minott to relocate to the UK, where he became a focus for UK reggae.<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="Larkin" />

Singles such as "Run Come", "Not for Sale", "African Girl", "Lovers Rock", "In a Dis Ya Time", "Africa" and "Make It with You" (with [[Carroll Thompson]]) were hits in the years that followed. "[[We've Got a Good Thing Going|Good Thing Going]]" (a [[cover version|cover]] of a song originally recorded by [[Michael Jackson]] in 1971) was picked up for distribution by [[RCA Records|RCA]] and reached Number 4 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in March 1981, leading to an album of the same name. The ''Herbman Hustling'' album saw a return to dancehall and [[roots reggae]].

He released an album of recordings from [[Channel One Studios]], ''With Lots Of Extra'' in 1983, collecting several hits from his time working with [[Winston Holness]].

Returning to Jamaica, his ''Youth Promotion'' sound system performed regularly in Kingston's Maxfield Park, featuring [[Jah Stitch]] and newcomers who had been nurtured by his organization such as [[Ranking Joe]], [[Captain Sinbad]], and [[Ranking Dread]]. His Black Roots label featured his productions of these artists plus others such as [[Barry Brown (singer)|Barry Brown]], [[Tenor Saw]], [[Little John (musician)|Little John]], [[Tony Tuff]], [[Barrington Levy]], [[Horace Andy]], and one of his discoveries from England, [[Trevor Hartley]].<ref name="Thompson" /> Minott also produced early works by [[Nitty Gritty]], [[Junior Reid]], [[Yami Bolo]], Colourman, [[Daddy Freddy]] and [[Garnett Silk]].

In 1980s he was working with producers in Jamaica including, [[Mikey Dread]], [[George Phang]], [[Sly and Robbie]], [[Philip "Fatis" Burrell]], Channel One, [[Prince Jammy]], and [[Donovan Germain]], as well as recording for United States–based Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes (the ''Wicked A Go feel It'' album from 1984).<ref name="Thompson" /> His biggest hits included "Herbman Hustling", "No Vacancy", "Jamming in the Street", "Rub A Dub Sound", "Buy Off The Bar", "Rydim", and "Devil's Pickney".

He linked up with Sly and Robbie for 1984's "Rub a Dub Sound Style" single, which is regarded as a prototype for the [[ragga]] style that developed in the mid-1980s.<ref name="Thompson" /> Sugar Minott continued to record on his Black Roots label, Youth Promotion Label and for Major and Independent labels. His albums receive increasingly exciting reviews.<ref name="Thompson" /> He released over 60 albums and hundreds of singles. He is one of the artists who appeared on the (2006) record, ''[[Radiodread]]'', released by the [[Easy Star]] label, providing the guest vocals on the song "Exit Music (For a Film)".

Minott's desire for independence led him to leave Studio One in 1978<ref name="Barrow" /> and form his own Black Roots Records<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackrootsrecords.com |title=Black Roots Records |publisher=Blackrootsrecords.com |accessdate=18 December 2012}}</ref> label and Youth Promotion organization, the latter with the aim of helping young singers from the same ghetto background as himself.<ref name="Barrow" /> Minott also ran the Youthman Promotion sound-system, giving young performers their first public exposure. Youthman Promotion has new selectors working alongside the veterans of Major Stitch, Ragga Steve and Drifter, Daddy Ants, Mr Shorty and Jimmy Knuckles. The selectors most recently{{When|date=January 2021}} added to the sound are DiGeneral Starry B in 2007, alongside Poochiny and Jr War, who were added in 2012. Ragga Steve has taken full control of the sound with Earl Minott in the UK.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

Minott married music executive Maxine Stowe, niece of Clement Coxsone Dodd in 1993, she was then working at [[Columbia Records]]. They met At Coxsone’s Music City in [[Brooklyn]], New York in 1978, where they collaborated and produced the album ''Roots Lovers''. They have four children, Rachiim, Jahson, Candice and Osunya. Sugar has 13 children with one, Alton, predeceasing him. The other children are Tamar, Lincoln Jr., Daniel, Debbie, Andrew, Tamar Elaine, Kelly & Linval.{{cn|date=May 2024}}