Garnett Silk

One of the most exciting young talents to arise out of the '80s dancehall scene, Garnett Silk began his career as a child toaster, but ended it as one of Jamaica's most astonishing singers; with a rich and emotive voice, he took the nation by storm. He seemed destined for international stardom, when his career was cut cruelly short by his death in 1994. Born Garnett Damoin Smith in Jamaica's Manchester parish on April 2, 1966, the young DJ-to-be, had decided on his career choice as a small child. Encouraged by family and friends, Silk first took the stage at the Soul Remembrance sound system at the tender age of 12, under the moniker Little Bimbo. The tiny toaster so impressed the audience that he swiftly began DJing regularly, first at Soul Remembrance, and then as the decade turned, at Pepper's Disco, Stereophonic, and then Destiny Outernational. It was at this latter sound system where the teen first met Tony Rebel, another Manchester native. Rebel was making a name for himself as a cultural toaster and went on to become a major influence on the dancehall scene, and on Little Bimbo himself. The DJ was still in his teens when he cut his first song, 1985's "Ram Dance Master"; he may have recorded others, but none have yet surfaced. It was another two years before Little Bimbo's debut single, "Problems Everywhere," appeared. Cut with producer Delroy Collins, the posthumous Journey album features not just the single, but an album's worth of material recorded by the two at this time. In 1987, Little Bimbo linked up with Sugar Minott and recorded the "No Disrespect" single for the older man's Youth Promotion label. Coincidentally, Tony Rebel was at this time the star DJ for Minott's Youth Promotion sound system, and he and Little Bimbo immediately hooked back up. The...