Today, February 1, as the world celebrates what would have been the 67th birthday of Dennis Emmanuel Brown, Observer Online is giving you five facts about the man whose catalogue isn’t easily rivalled and whose musical contributions are undeniable.

Labelled the ‘Crown Prince of Reggae,’ the late Dennis Brown had a successful career that spanned some three decades before his passing. During that time, the man with the silky, smooth voice gave us hits such as Money In My Pocket, Revolution, The Foundation, Silhouettes, Promised Land, How Could I Leave and Here I Come.

But I bet you didn’t know that the entertainer began his musical journey at the tender age of nine. Talk about a child prodigy! By the time Brown was 12 years old, he was already recording for esteemed producer, the late Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd.

And now, here are a few other facts we bet you didn’t know about the great, Dennis Emmanuel Brown.

1. His debut album, No Man Is An Island was released in 1970 when the singer was only 13 years old but it took him some two decades before earning his first solo Grammy nomination. He got the nod in 1994 for the album Light My Fire.
2. The singer has reportedly released more than 70 albums throughout his career. He also worked with almost every major record producer in the country, including Derrick Harriot and Joe Gibbs.
3. Reggae legend Bob Marley listed him as one of his favourite singers.
4. The ‘Crown Prince of Reggae’ title was bestowed on Brown by producer Tommy Cowan in February 1984, while promoting a show at the Tree House Club in Negril.
5. Brown fathered seven children. He died in 1999 at the age of 42.