George Nooks

Biography

George Nooks, born circa 1958 in Kingston, Jamaica, is a veteran reggae singer, songwriter, and record producer who has maintained a prolific career spanning over four decades.[1][2] Nooks developed his passion for music in the youth choir of his local church in the parish of St Andrew, where he received encouragement from his religious community to pursue singing.[2] He began his professional recording career in 1974, initially finding success as a deejay under the stage name Prince Mohamed, working with legendary producer Joe Gibbs in the late 1970s.[1][2] His early work as a deejay included notable contributions to Dennis Brown's 1978 hit "Money in my Pocket" and other discomix tracks that established him within Jamaica's roots reggae sound system culture.[1]

Nooks transitioned from deejaying to singing in response to the increasing violence in Kingston during the late 1970s, recording versions of songs like Little Roy's "Tribal War" and Errol Dunkley's "Darling Ooh" under his real name.[1] His 1977 releases "Forty Leg Dread" (as Prince Mohammed) and "Tribal War" (as George Nooks) simultaneously became Jamaican chart hits, marking a turning point in his career.[2] Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Nooks released numerous albums across reggae, lovers rock, and gospel genres, earning critical acclaim with his 1997 self-titled album, which garnered three Tamika Reggae Music awards for Crossover Artist, Outstanding Male Artist, and Vocalist of the Year.[1][2] Following the death of his grandmother in 2001, Nooks increasingly focused on gospel material, achieving significant success with his 2002 cover of Ben E. King's "God Is Standing By," which was named Record of the Year by The Star newspaper in Jamaica.[2]

Beyond his recording career, Nooks has established himself as a respected producer and label owner, operating his own Total Records label since the early 1990s.[1] His 2016 album "Ride Out Your Storm" reached number 4 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and number 22 on the Gospel chart, demonstrating his continued relevance in both genres.[1] In 2022, he received the ABGMA Collaboration-Duo of the Year Award alongside Dingy Danejah, further cementing his status as a significant figure in contemporary reggae and gospel music.[1]

Fun Facts

• Nooks was deported from the United States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1997 while traveling to collect his three Tamika Reggae Music awards, forcing his wife and three children to accept the awards on his behalf.[2]
• Nooks has recorded under multiple stage names throughout his career, including Prince Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, and George Knooks, with his early success coming primarily under the Prince Mohamed moniker as a deejay.[1]
• His cover of the hymn 'How Great Thou Art' became one of his best-loved songs, bringing a reggae feel to the classic church hymn that he had sung in his local church choir.[2]
• Since the death of his grandmother in 2001, Nooks has primarily focused on recording gospel music material, marking a significant shift in his artistic direction after decades of mainstream reggae work.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Joe Gibbs - Producer who gave Nooks his first major platform as a deejay, launching his career in the late 1970s (Dennis Brown's 'Money in my Pocket' (1978), 'How Could I Leave', 'Inna Him Head' (1980)) [1974-1980s]
• Dennis Brown - Recording artist and early influence; Nooks later paid tribute to Brown with a double album of covers ('Money in my Pocket' collaboration, 'George Nooks Sings Dennis Brown' (2006)) [1978-2006]
• Prince Tony Robinson - Producer and founder of Groovemaster roots record label who featured Nooks' work ('Light Up Your Spliff') [late 1970s]

Key Collaborators

• General Echo - Joint album partner on debut release ('People Are You Ready' (1978)) [1978]
• June Lodge - Featured vocalist on collaborative album ('Someone Loves You Honey' (1982)) [1982]
• Glen Washington - Reggae artist with whom Nooks released shared albums (Collaborative albums) [1997-present]
• Roland Burrell - Collaborator on gospel and reggae projects ('Created By The Father' (2002)) [2002]
• Singing Melody - Reggae artist featured on collaborative albums (Shared albums) [1997-present]
• Lukie D - Reggae artist with whom Nooks released collaborative material (Shared albums) [1997-present]
• Dingy Danejah - Contemporary collaborator and award-winning partner (ABGMA Collaboration-Duo of the Year Award) [2022]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia