“I have always wondered why, in the heights of my career, the offer for overseas shows stopped coming in. Now I know: I never knew all along that I was listed as dead,” mused veteran singer Errol ‘Scorcher’ Archer, who reigned supreme in the 80s with songs such as Roach Inna Di Corner and Bubble Under Me.

It was only recently that Scorcher made the grave discovery that on many reggae websites he has been listed as dead since 1982. Scorcher says he recalls in 1982 a deejay by the name of Errol Shorter was shot and killed.

“At the time, a friend of mine saw me at Skateland and told me that the news was spreading like wildfire that I was killed,” he related, adding that he said to his friend, “as you can see, it’s not me.”

Having seen the many websites with the information that he was shot and killed in 1982, he believes the mix-up started with the death of that deejay, who he says wasn’t as well-known as he was.

Scorcher told Splash that he is ready and fitter than ever and can’t wait to hit the international circuit once again.

“I am alive, fit and ready to hit any stage,” the deejay said.

Born Errol Archer in the parish of St Catherine, Scorcher emerged on the scene in the early-70s. According to his bio, he began working as a deejay on several sound systems and eventually released a single entitled Leggo Mi Hand Babylon, which, while wasn’t a runaway success, did manage to garner him some attention in the dancehall.

Scorcher followed up that release with singles such as Jolly Bus Ting, Engineer’s Affair and Peace Truce. He later teamed up with Nicodemus, Nigger Kojack and Mother Liza on Prince Jammy’s Tapetone Sound System.

Errol Scorcher got the breakthrough he was seeking in 1979, when he recorded the popular Roach Inna Di Corner, catapulting him into the spotlight and making him a dancehall staple on many top events.

Scorcher followed up that success with singles such as Frog In a Water, Mosquitoes, Borrow Man, Under Me and Rude Bwoy Step.

Errol Scorcher is now back in the studio working on some new singles. A track that is due to be released any day now is Gospel Medley. He is very passionate about this one as he says it’s one for the times.

“I’m sending a message to the youths through this single. This song is about hope, doing the right thing and turning away from negative influences,” Scorcher said.

The artiste says he longs for the ‘nice’ vibes to return in the dancehall. “Nowadays it’s a different thing from what we are used to. We try to ‘nice’ up the dance; we want it to go back to the original style,” he said.

Scorcher says he will be doing his part to bring the vibes back in the dancehall with his sound Upsetter.

“Upsetter sound will be giving a lot of upcoming artistes a ‘buss’ while we try to inject positive energy.”

Also in the pipeline for Scorcher is a new album which he hopes will be ready for release before the end of the year. Among the tracks that will be included on the album are Borrow Man, Bad Mind and Gospel Medley.