Marcia Griffiths
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Marcia Llyneth Griffiths (born 23 November 1949) is a successful female singer, also called the "Queen of Reggae". One reviewer described her noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances".
Biography
Born in West Kingston, Griffiths started her career in 1964, performing on stage with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Her performance was sufficiently impressive that she was invited to record for the Studio One label, for which she recorded her early hit singles including "Truly", "Melody Life", and "Feel Like Jumping".
From 1970 to 1974 she worked together with Bob Andy in the group Bob and Marcia, on the Harry J label. Between 1974 and 1981 she was a member of the I Threes, a background group, which supported Bob Marley & the Wailers.
She continued to record as a solo artist throughout the 1970s, working with producers such as Sonia Pottinger, and Joseph Hoo Kim.
Her recording of the Bunny Wailer song "Electric Boogie", released in 1976 and re-released in 1989, made the Electric Slide, a line dance, an international dance craze. It reached number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 making it her most successful single. It remains the highest-selling single by a female Reggae singer of all time.
She had two children with JBC disc jockey Errol Thompson, and raised them alone after his death in 1983. She has more recently had further hits with producer Donovan Germain.
Discography
- Sweet Bitter Love (1974)
- Naturally (1978)
- Steppin (1979)
- Rock My Soul (1984)
- Marcia (1988)
- Carousel (1990)
- Indomitable (1995)
- Land Of Love (1997)
- Collectors Series (1998)
- Truly (1998)
- Certified (1999)
- Reggae Max (2003)
- Shining Time (2005)
- Melody Life (2007)
- Marcia Griffiths & Friends (2012)
