In Memoriam: Lee “Scratch” Perry (1936-2021)
Lee “Scratch” Perry, the legendary Jamaican singer, producer, and studio alchemist who carved the mold of dub music and pushed the boundaries of Jamaican music has died. He was 85.
It was reported that Perry died Sunday at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Jamaica by the Jamaican Observer. The cause of death was unknown at the time of the written report.
Perry was born Rainford Hugh Perry, in the Hanover parish of northwest Jamaica in 1936. He left school early and decided to play dominos and “read the minds of others,” rather than do fieldwork. He moved to Kingston in the ’60s, where he was hired by the head of the reggae studio and label Studio One, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd.
Perry worked as an assistant, then worked his way up to a talent scout, then DJ, manager and finally a recording artist. He helped produce dozens of records during his time there. After some altercations with Dodd, Perry jumped over rival label Amalgamated Records, where he continued to produce and hone his skills as a recording career as a lead artist in his own right.
He got his nickname “Scratch” from his 1965 recording “The Chicken Scratch.” In 1968, he left Amalgamated Records formed his own label, Upsetter Records. A nod to his notion that he was “The Upsetter.”
“They call me ‘The Upsetter,’ you know,” Perry told Relix in 2019. “Sometimes that means setting up people to God’s level so they can think about God. And it can also mean the people who take people from God’s level and hand them over to devils and shooters and killers—to take care of them in Jesus’ name.”
Thanks to his 1968 single “People Funny Boy,” which was a jab at Amalgamated Records owner Joe Gibbs, becoming a hit in the U.K. and Jamaica, Perry was able to open his own studio which he named “the Black Arc” in 1973.
There he experimented with drum machines and explored the potential of studio equipment. He would record gunfire, the smashing of glass and sample animal noises. Perry was also known to blow marijuana smoke onto master tapes to enhance the recordings. Perry would also layer his own melodies, rhythms and recordings with vocal hooks lifted from other tracks. The blueprint this provided for sampling continues to affect many genres of music to this day. According to legend, Perry ultimately burned down “the Black Arc” studio in 1983.
“This Man Was Plug-Ins long before you studio cats today can simply press one button and instantly created sound chaos. Way before The Bomb Squad. The God Of Black Ark. the true Sound Journey. One of the most awe-inspiring producer/engineers/visionaries. If you love Dub you love his work,” Wrote Questlove in an Instagram post. “If you love engineers of your favorite record & they come up with these freaky fx? They got it from him. And even if they don’t KNOW he is their influence I guarantee you there is no plug-in creator trying to figure out how to achieve his echo/spring reverb/delay beautiful sonic chaos.”
Perry worked with and produced for a huge variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Congos, Max Romeo, Junior Murvin, Paul McCartney, Adrian Sherwood, The Beastie Boys, Ari Up, The Clash, The Orb, and many more.
In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for the aptly titled Jamaican E T. He continued to work and create dub and reggae music until his final days.
Perry’s death was also recognized by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, who wrote on Twitter, “My deep condolences to the family, friends, and fans of legendary record producer and singer, Rainford Hugh Perry OD, affectionately known as “Lee Scratch” Perry…Undoubtedly, Lee Scratch Perry will always be remembered for his sterling contribution to the music fraternity. May his soul Rest In Peace.”
Before his death, Perry resided in Switzerland with his wife Mireille and their two children. He is survived by them and four other children by the names of Cleopatra Perry, Marsha Perry, Omar Perry, and Marvin (Sean) Perry in various parts of the world.
