IN the early days of Jamaica’s music industry, artistes and producers usually identified with their home base – Duke Reid was synonymous with Bond Street, Clement “Coxson” Dodd ruled from Brentford Road and Bunny Lee held court in Greenwich Farm.

Known as Striker or The Gorgon, Lee died in October at age 79. He left, arguably, the largest catalogue of albums and songs in reggae history, much of it distributed in the United Kingdom, where he was a pioneer in terms of marketing.

Legendary British broadcaster David Rodigan hailed Lee’s work as a visionary in helping expand reggae’s appeal.

“The reggae world has lost another iconic figure. Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee was unquestionably one of the most charismatic and inspirational record producers in Jamaican music, with a phenomenal catalogue of hits. He drove the music forward across the decades and will be sorely missed,” said Rodigan.

Lee’s roots ran deep in Greenwich Farm, the seafaring community that was close to his heart. The former auto salesman got into music production in the late 1960’s, working with acts like Slim Smith and The Uniques on songs like Conversation and Watch This Sound; John Holt ( Stick by Me) and Delroy Wilson ( Better Must Come).

Lee’s Striker label surged even more during the Rasta revolution of the 1970’s, led by artistes with links to Greenwich Farm. They were led by Johnny Clarke, dubbed the Hit Machine because of his flurry of hits that included None Shall Escape the Judgement, Rock With me Baby and Move Outa Babylon.

Cornel Campbell’s hit song, The Gorgon, was an indirect ode to Lee and Greenwich Farm.

Bunny Lee was among the first producers to have a major distribution network in the United Kingdom. Many of the songs he produced inspired the British roots-reggae and lovers rock movements of the 1970’s.

Lee was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government in 2008.

— Howard Campbell