A passionate memoir and fearless behind-the-scenes look at the personal lives of the biggest reggae stars in the world
Doctor Dread has committed his life to producing reggae music and releasing it on his label, RAS Records. He has become one of the world’s foremost reggae producers and has worked with almost all the genre’s icons: Bunny Wailer, Black Uhuru, Ziggy and Damian Marley, Gregory Isaacs, and others. This book, full of behind-the-scenes stories, has shocking chapters that reveal aspects of reggae never before explored.
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“From the very inside of the Jamaican music business and its gnarly secrets to his intimate contacts with its greatest movers and shakers, Doctor Dread has told a story only he can fully elucidate. Amusing, insightful, deeply revealing, and certain to be controversial, Doc’s book pulls the covers off Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, and countless other world-famous iconic figures, giving us the day-to-day tussles and rewards of being one of the prime exposers of Jah Music in North America through his award-winning RAS Records…Highly recommended.”
— Roger Steffens, founding editor of The Beat and founding chairman of the Reggae Grammy Committee
“No reggae fan can afford to miss this lively, rich, from-the-hip account from one of the industry’s most unlikely visionaries. And no human being can afford to miss this story of spiritual questing, cultural boundary-crossing, and the transformative power of music.”
— Adam Mansbach, #1 New York Times bestselling author“This book should be on the shelf of any serious lover of reggae…Not only is Himelfarb a great storyteller…he is also a talented writer.”
— FDRMX“Impassioned and engaging.”
— Booklist“A heartfelt tribute to Caribbean roots music and those who keep it alive.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Doctor Dread was born and raised in the Washington, DC, area. Upon first hearing reggae music in 1972 he became completely enthralled by Jamaican culture and the tenets of Rastafari. This was reinforced when he became a deejay on the progressive radio station WHFS, where he first took on the moniker of Doctor Dread (his real name is Gary Himelfarb). He next founded RAS Records, which was responsible for distributing and producing reggae artists from Jamaica to every corner of the earth. Doctor Dread forged very intimate relationships with the artists of Jamaica and to this day remains committed to the culture and people of this country he has come to call his “true home.”
Cary Hite has performed in several theaters across the country as a cast member in the longest-running African American play in history, The Diary of Black Men. He also appeared in Edward II, Fences, Macbeth, Good Boys, Side Effects May Vary, and the indie feature The City Is Mine. He has voiced several projects for AudibleKids, including Souls Look Back in Wonder, From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, and Papa, Do You Love Me?