Lacksley Castell
{{short description|Jamaican reggae singer}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Lacksley Castell
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Lacksley Hugh Castell
| alias =
| birth_place = Kingston, Jamaica
| birth_date = 10 April 1959
| death_place =
| death_date = November 1983 (aged 24)
| origin =
| instrument = Vocals
| genre = Reggae
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| years_active = 1978–1983
| label = Negus Roots, Rockers, Live and Love
| associated_acts = Hugh Mundell
| website =
}}
Lacksley Castell, sometimes misspelled Laxley, Lacksly, Lasky or Locksley Castel (10 April 1959 – November 1983) was a Jamaican reggae singer best known for his work in the early 1980s.
Biography
Lacksley Castell was born in 1959,{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/lacksleycastell/posts/479421845458407 |title=This is trevor casell and i want to wish my... – Lacksley Castell |website=www.facebook.com |access-date=11 October 2013}} (although some sources claim 1962.{{cite web |url=http://www.yardie-reggae.com/ARTIST%20PAGES/LACKSLEY%20CASTELL.htm |title=LACKSLEY CASTELL |website=www.yardie-reggae.com |access-date=12 October 2013}}{{unreliable source?|date=September 2019}}) The third of five brothers, Castell grew up on Dilliston Avenue in Kingston's Waterhouse district,Campbell, Howard (2019) "[https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/castell-does-ode-to-brother/ Castell does ode to brother]", Jamaica Observer, 22 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019 the area also home to artists such as Black Uhuru and The Travellers; Castell recorded in what was known as the "Waterhouse style".{{cite book |last=Katz |first=David |author-link=David Katz (author) |title=Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae |url=https://archive.org/details/solidfoundationo00katz|url-access=registration |year=2003 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=0-7475-6847-2 }} He became friends with Hugh Mundell who helped both him and his friend Junior Reid to get started in the music business.{{cite book |last1=Barrow |first1=Steve |author-link1=Steve Barrow |last2=Dalton |first2=Peter |title=The Rough Guide to Reggae |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetoregg00barr |year=2004 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=1-84353-329-4 |url-access=registration }} That resulted in Castell's first single releases in 1978, "Babylon World" and "Love in Your Heart", recorded with Augustus Pablo. In 1979, he recorded "Jah Love Is Sweeter" at Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark Studios, which was a pre-release reggae chart hit in the United Kingdom in August 1979, with "What a Great Day" (produced by Prince Jammy) making the top five of the reggae 12-inch singles chart the same month.{{cite web |url=http://www.dancecrasher.co.uk/interviewsdiscogs/black-music-magazine-charts/black-music-magazine-pre-and-12-inch-charts-1979 |title=Black Music – Reggae Charts 1979 |website=www.dancecrasher.co.uk |access-date=6 March 2013}}
In 1980, Castell recorded the Jah Fire album with Hugh Mundell, produced by Prince Jammy. He also provided backing vocals on Sugar Minott's Black Roots album{{cite web |url=http://www.roots-archives.com/release/437 |title=Sugar Minott – Black Roots |website=www.roots-archives.com |access-date=5 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010113451/http://www.roots-archives.com/release/437 |archive-date=10 October 2008 }} and had a further 12-inch hit with "African Queen" that year.{{cite web |url=http://www.dancecrasher.co.uk/interviewsdiscogs/black-music-magazine-charts/black-music-magazine-pre-12-inch-chart-1980 |title=Black Music Magazine Charts |website=www.dancecrasher.co.uk |access-date=6 March 2013}} His first solo album, Morning Glory, was released in 1982 on Robert "Flacko" Palmer's Negus Roots label, who also produced the record. This was followed by a second album, Princess Lady in 1983, co-arranged by Dean Fraser and mixed by Neil "Mad Professor" Fraser. Castell was also credited as arranger on fellow Negus Roots artists Sly & Robbie's 1982 album, Dub Rockers Delight, which consisted of dubs from his Morning Glory album. Dubs from the Princess Lady album were included on Mad Professor's In a Rub a Dub Style.
Castell died in November 1983 after an illness. He was buried in May Pen Cemetery in Kingston. His two albums were re-issued on CD in 2005. A Lacksley Castell Facebook page is maintained by his brother Trevor Castell.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/lacksleycastell |title=Lacksley Castell |website=www.facebook.com |access-date=12 October 2013}}
Discography
=Albums=
- 1980: Jah Fire (with Hugh Mundell)
- 1982: Morning Glory
- 1983: Princess Lady
=Singles=
- 1978: "Babylon World"
- 1978: "Love in Your Heart"
- 1979: "What a Great Day (It Will Be)"
- 1979: "Jah Love Is Sweeter"
- 1979: "My Collie Tree"
- 1980: "African Queen"
- 1980: "Unkind to Myself"
- 1981: "Jah Is Watching You"
- 1981: "Government Man"
- 1982: "Speak Softly"
- 1983: "Tug-a-War Games"
- 1983: "Johnny Brown"
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castell, Lacksley}}