Dilly from Stingray Records

“My connection with Bobby (Digital) Dixon started in 1986 from (engineer) Peter Chemist, who was working for Blue Mountain Records in London, which was owned by Lloyd Evans. I ended up working with the company. Blue Mountain was the sole agency for Bobby Digital Music in the UK at the time. We released his first set of albums with Shabba Ranks, Sanchez, Dirtsman, Gregory Isaacs, Ninjaman, as well as many singles.

My trips to Jamaica through the company [took me] straight to Bobby’s home where he had his studio set up. I would stay in his family home each time I went. We got on so well. Waking up to a recording studio, artistes and music every day was just heaven to me. At nights when Bobby went off to sleep I will be up till all kinda hours in the studio doing my thing. He would tell me how he heard me banging away.

One day on the balcony we got into deep reasoning and I mention to him I would love to have my own studio. His words were, ‘there’s nothing like having your own’ and I must go for it. He said it will be good for him also, when he comes to London, to have a studio there. In his very own words, ‘studio from home to home’.

Bobby influence me so much to see where he was coming from, and what he had achieved over the years. This inspired me to do more and become more active as a producer and engineer. Bobby motivated me to own my own recording studio and with the knowledge of the music business through working with Lloyd Evans’ company, we knew we could make a solid team from Jamaica to the UK. After Blue Mountain Records closed at the end of 1990.

I had recently arrived back in England with more products to release, like Garnet Silk, Leroy Smart, Sanchez ( I Can’t Wait album) Sizzla, Morgan Heritage, Frankie Paul, etc. I decided to make things happen for these products so I made links with Jet Star and Greensleeves Records. Being the top distributors of reggae in the UK, they took a lot of these products. I became the sole agency for Bobby here in the UK and remain so, up to this day.

Bobby was a very humble person who took his music very serious. I learnt a lot from just watching and being around him. He had a special art of how he works with artistes and musicians. I watched him work with the likes of Garnet Silk, Sizzla and Morgan Heritage on their very first visit to the studio.

Bobby has done great things for reggae music, whether it be dancehall, roots, lover’s rock; however people want to put it. He will be sadly missed… but never forgotten.”