Tyrone Downie

Jamaican keyboardist and pianist (1956–2022)

Tyrone Downie

Downie in 2016

Background information
Birth name| Tyrone Downie
Also known as| Organ D
Born| (1956-05-20)20 May 1956
Kingston, Jamaica
Died| 5 November 2022(2022-11-05) (aged 66)
Kingston, Jamaica
Genres| Reggae
Occupation(s)| Arranger, pianist, musician
Instrument(s)| Keyboards (piano, rhodes piano, organ, synthesizers, mellotron), guitar
Years active| 1970–2022
Formerly of| Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Wailers Band, Tom Tom Club, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Sly & Robbie Has also toured Zambia and elsewhere with Jimmy Cliff.

Musical artist

Tyrone Downie (20 May 1956 – 5 November 2022) was a Jamaican keyboardist and pianist best known for his involvement as a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers.[1]

He studied at Kingston College and joined the Wailers in the mid-1970s, making his recording debut with the band on Rastaman Vibration, having previously been a member of the Impact All Stars.[2][3] He also played with the Abyssinians, Beenie Man, Black Uhuru,[3] Buju Banton, Peter Tosh, Junior Reid,[1] Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly and Sly & Robbie. He resided in France and was a member of the touring band of Youssou N'Dour, whose album Remember he produced.[2]

In 1983, Grace Jones released the single "My Jamaican Guy". Unbeknown to Downie, he (though in a relationship and not romantically linked to Jones) was the subject of the song.[4]

Downie released the solo album Organ-D in 2001.[3]

Downie played keyboards on the album 'Maroon Songs: Born Free, Live Free, Ever Free' with Earl Chinna Smith's InnadeYard Binghistra Movement, released on August 17, 2022.[5]

Downie died in Kingston on 5 November 2022, at the age of 66.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Foster, Chuck (1999) Roots Rock Reggae, Billboard Books, ISBN 0-8230-7831-0, p. 66, 116
2. ^ a b "Wailers bands carry on tradition for survival", Jamaica Gleaner, 19 July 2009, retrieved 31 October 2010
3. ^ a b c Moskowitz, David V. (2006) "Tyrone Downie", in Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 92-3
4. ^ Simon Hattenstone (17 April 2010). "Grace Jones: 'God I'm scary. I'm scaring myself'". The Guardian. www.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
5. ^ "Maroon Songs: Born Free, Live Free, Ever Free". Reggae-vibes.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
6. ^ "Bob Marley and The Wailers pianist Tyrone Downie is dead". Jamaica Observer. www.jamaicaobserver.com. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Tyrone Downie at Roots Archives

* v
* t
* e

Bob Marley and the Wailers

* Bob Marley
* Peter Tosh
* Bunny Wailer

* Other vocalists: Junior Braithwaite
* Cherry Smith
* Beverley Kelso
* Constantine "Vision" Walker
* Rita Marley
* Marcia Griffiths
* Judy Mowatt

* Musicians: Aston "Family Man" Barrett
* Carlton Barrett
* Earl Lindo
* Tyrone Downie
* Alvin "Seeco" Patterson
* Al Anderson
* Earl "Chinna" Smith
* Donald Kinsey
* Junior Marvin

Studio albums|

* The Wailing Wailers (1965)
* Soul Rebels (1970)
* Soul Revolution Part II (1971)
* The Best of the Wailers (1971)
* Catch a Fire (1973)
* Burnin' (1973)
* Natty Dread (1974)
* Rastaman Vibration (1976)
* Exodus (1977)
* Kaya (1978)
* Survival (1979)
* Uprising (1980)
* Confrontation (1983)

Compilations|

* African Herbsman (1973)
* Rasta Revolution (1974)
* Legend (1984)
* Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita (1985)
* Rebel Music (1986)
* Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On (1995)
* 21 Winners: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers (1997)
* One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers (2001)
* Gold (2005)

Live albums|

* Live! (1975)
* Babylon by Bus (1978)
* Talkin' Blues (1991)
* Live at the Roxy (2003)
* Live Forever: September 23, 1980 • Stanley Theatre • Pittsburgh, PA (2011)
* Easy Skanking in Boston '78 (2015)

Remix albums|

* Chances Are (1981)
* Chant Down Babylon (1999)
* B Is for Bob (2009)

Box sets|

* Songs of Freedom (1992)
* The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967–1972 (1997–2002)

Singles|

* "Judge Not"
* "Simmer Down"
* "Guava Jelly"
* "Stir It Up"
* "Get Up, Stand Up"
* "I Shot the Sheriff"
* "No Woman, No Cry (Live '75)"
* "Jah Live"
* "Exodus"
* "Waiting in Vain"
* "Jamming"/"Punky Reggae Party"
* "Is This Love"
* "Satisfy My Soul"
* "So Much Trouble in the World"
* "Could You Be Loved"
* "Redemption Song"
* "Three Little Birds"
* "Forever Loving Jah"
* "Buffalo Soldier"
* "One Love/People Get Ready"
* "Iron Lion Zion"
* "Sun Is Shining"
* "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
* "Slogans"
* "Is This Love"

Other songs|

* "Rude Boy"
* "Mr Brown"
* "Small Axe"
* "No Woman, No Cry"
* "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
* "Natural Mystic"
* "Sun Is Shining"
* "One Drop"
* "War"
* "Hammer"

Performances|

* Smile Jamaica Concert (1976)
* Exodus Tour (1977)
* One Love Peace Concert (1978)
* Uprising Tour (1980)

Associated acts|

* The Skatalites
* The Upsetters
* Word, Sound and Power
* The Wailers Band
* The Original Wailers

Related people|

* Chris Blackwell
* Errol Brown
* Allan Cole
* Coxsone Dodd
* Vincent Ford
* Neville Garrick
* Joe Higgs
* Lee Jaffe
* Arthur Jenkins
* King Sporty
* Leslie Kong
* Johnny Nash
* Jimmy Norman
* Lee "Scratch" Perry
* Mortimer Planno
* Karl Pitterson
* Alex Sadkin

Related articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Outline of Bob Marley
* 1976 assassination attempt
* Marley Natural
* Upsetter Records
* Tuff Gong
* Bob Marley Museum
* Statue of Bob Marley
* Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley
* Marley
* soundtrack
* Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary
* Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley
* One Love: The Bob Marley Musical
* Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
* Bob Marley: One Love
* soundtrack

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Tom Tom Club

* Chris Frantz
* Tina Weymouth
* Bruce Martin
* Victoria Clamp
* Pablo Martin

* Adrian Belew
* Monte Browne
* Tyrone Downie
* Mark Roule
* Gary Pozner
* Steve Scales
* Steven Stanley
* Alex Weir
* Mystic Bowie
* Laura Weymouth
* Charles Pettigrew
* Wally Badarou

Albums|

* Tom Tom Club (1981)
* Close to the Bone (1983)
* Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom (1988)
* Dark Sneak Love Action (1992)
* The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (2000)
* Downtown Rockers (2012)

Singles|

* "Wordy Rappinghood" (1981)
* "Genius of Love" (1981)
* "Under the Boardwalk" (1982)
* "You Sexy Thing" (1992)
* "Love to Love You Baby" (2000)

Related articles|

* Talking Heads
* James Rizzi

* v
* t
* e

Steel Pulse

* Selwyn Brown
* David Hinds
* Sidney Mills

Studio albums|

* Handsworth Revolution
* Tribute to the Martyrs
* Caught You
* True Democracy
* Earth Crisis
* Babylon the Bandit
* State of Emergency
* Victims
* Vex
* Rage and Fury
* African Holocaust

Former members|

* Tyrone Downie
* Basil Gabbidon
* Alphonso Martin
* Ronald McQueen
* Steve Nisbett

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Norway
* Croatia

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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