The 66-year-old singer – who has enjoyed a glittering four decade career spanning hits such as Push Comes to Shove and Just Don’t Want to be Lonely – had toured across Africa in the autumn. Japan was ready for me, and I was ready for them, never seen so many people cry. Both happy for my recovery, and happy to see me,” he said. He established the Big Ship label in 1983, and has produced many artists including Papa San, Lieutenant Stitchie, Tiger, Luciano and Mikey Spice. [4] Last year, it was reported that the Big Ship Label founder is also getting ready to release his album in early 2023, A Breath of Fresh Air, produced by British company Stingray Records.

REGGAE LEGEND Freddie McGregor is said to be convalescing at a Florida medical facilitiy after suffering a stroke earlier this week. In February, I will start working to finish that project before my touring starts in March at the Moon Splash Festival in Anguilla,” he said. “Followed by a major festival in Virginia, then (a) festival in Baltimore. I was at the Royal Albert Hall in London with David Rodigan and his Outlook Orchestra, plus other shows in the US before returning to the UK for another festival with David’s Orchestra on June 19.”In 1975, McGregor converted to Rastafarianism. Still with Studio One and working with Earl "Chinna" Smith, he recorded several classic songs. Messages of goodwill have been flowing in, with Maxi Priest tweeting: “Calling on all my prayer warriors. Let’s come together and send up our prayers for strength and healing for my bonafide breden, singer, legend, Freddie Mcgregor.” McGregor however intends to return to the drawing board regarding that set, before a myriad of tours and appearances this year.

a b Cooke, Mel (20 July 2014). "Half-Century of Freddie". Jamaica Gleaner . Retrieved 21 July 2014. For the past four decades, McGregor has been one of reggae’s front-runners. He is known for songs including Big Ship, Push Comes to Shove, Just Don’t Want to be Lonely,and I’m A Winner. As a child, McGregor was a part of The Clarendonians, one of Jamaica’s most successful Ska and early Reggae groups. He was co-opted to the group after the suggestion was made by legendary record producer Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd of Studio One. Freddie, it was said, was so tiny at the time, that he had to stand on a beer crate to reach the microphone. In a 2011 interview, he expressed concern that many veteran artists, including himself, struggled for local radio play of their newer material, which he felt may be "lost" over time as a result. [5] Just last week, the singer joined the Mighty Crown sound system on their Far East Reggae Cruise. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, McGregor had reported that the set lived up to his, and fan’s’ expectations.

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FREDDIE MCGREGOR - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 November 2022. In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to form The Clarendonians, and began to record for the Studio One label. He was only seven years old at the time and was known as 'Little Freddie'. [2] [3] He was also a member of the Generation Gap. [4] Once they were in place, it was magic. "Everybody a say 'Hit tune! Hit tune!'," McGregor recalled. At that moment, it was part of a hit tune, McGregor going on to develop the lyrics over the following days and return to the studio to complete the song, the first verse of which is: McGregor stayed at Studio One for much of the '70s. He sang lead for groups like Generation Gap and Soul Syndicate, and also recorded off and on as a solo act during the '70s. McGregor's albums in the 2000s were Signature and Anything for You, which received a Grammy nomination. [1] [4]

He pointed out that there was a coincidence which gave Big Ship added significance and push in England. That was the year of the Falklands War with Argentina, the British naval task force playing a huge role in the conflict far from the United Kingdom. Then, there were the people who used it for far more leisurely waterborne pursuits, such as cruises. Big Ship Boss Freddie McGregor is on the brink of releasing a new album, after signing a publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music last month. Coxsone later paired McGregor with Ernest Wilson of The Clarendonians as ‘Fitzy and Freddy’ on the hit single Why Did You Do It I in 1966, which was Freddie’s first recording.

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Freddie McGregor Signs Deal With Warner Chappell Music". DancehallMag. 9 December 2021 . Retrieved 10 December 2021.

In 2013, he received a Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies. [6]

Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p.339. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. a b c d Steve Huey (27 June 1956). "Freddie McGregor | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 25 April 2020. McGregor worked with producer Niney the Observer during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and in the same period was part of the resurgence of Studio One. [4] His popularity soared in the early 1980s with the release of "Bobby Babylon". Other popular hits of McGregor's include "Big Ship", "Push Comes to Shove", " Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (a top ten hit in the UK), [3] [4] and "I Was Born a Winner"; as well as cover versions of many early reggae standards. He has also worked with producers Junjo Lawes, Linval Thompson, and Gussie Clarke. McGregor has also recorded as a drummer with artists such as Sugar Minott and Judy Mowatt. [4] When me make the song and see how people react to it outside of what I mean, it is amazing," he said. McGregor hails from Hayes in Clarendon. He began his music career at seven years old at the legendary Studio One with Fitzroy “Ernest” Wilson and Peter Austin, founding members of The Clarendonians. Wilson took the youngster under his wing and recorded several songs under the name Fitzy and Freddie.