Michael George Campbell, better known as Mikey Dread, was a Jamaican singer, producer, and broadcaster. He was one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music. His abilities, technical expertise, and unique vocal delivery combined to create a unique sound that tells the listener emphatically that it is the “Dread at the Controls”.  Mikey Dread passed away in 2008.

I am a big fan of the album “Obsession,” a record that was panned by critics and remains a slight “hiccup” in an otherwise pristine catalog of music for Mikey Dread.

According to music critic Steve McDonald:

“Mikey Dread continues to move away from the early Dread at the Controls dub sound, involving himself with a mixture of lover’s rock and smooth low-key reggae that verges sometimes on a kind of new age mix. It’s a long way from what he used to do, but it’s still entertaining — and is far easier to enjoy because the music isn’t designed to turn your mind inside out.”

Mikey Dread “Roots And Culture”/Jungle Signal” 10″ (Dread At The Controls, 1984)

An excerpt from the Dread At The Controls radio show.

Mikey Dread and the Fully Fullwood Band (Soul Syndicate) live in Bakersfield, CA 2001.