A documentary on the life of Jamaican singer Noel “King” Sporty is being produced by Canadian Noel Osborne, who knew Sporty for over 20 years. Sporty, who was a key figure in the development of the Miami music scene, died in 2015 at age 71.
Sporty is best known to many as co-writer of the Bob Marley hit song Buffalo Soldier. Osborne said he wanted to introduce the unsung Sporty to new fans.
Wrote lyrics for Buffalo Soldier
“This is the man who wrote Buffalo Soldier and I don’t think many people know that; so how could I not do a film about King Sporty? He is one of the most influential figures in Jamaican music. I just figured that his story needed to be told to the world,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Now editing documentary
Osborne did not give a date for Journey Of A King‘s release. He said filming was completed last year and he is in the final stages of editing. Osborne interviewed Sporty, his wife Betty Wright, Ken Boothe, Earl Morgan of The Heptones, Bunny Wailer, Sizzla, Albert Minott of the Jolly Boys, Inner Circle, and Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell of the 2 Live Crew.
Born in Portland, King Sporty worked as a sound system selector and toaster for producers including Clement ‘Coxson’ Dodd during the 1960s. As an artiste, he is best known in Jamaica for the soulful Thinking of You.
Ran with hip crowd
In Miami he ran with the hip crowd that included Henry Stone, flamboyant head of the multi-successful TK Records. That entity helped fashion the Miami sound that produced hits by Bahamian band Beginning Of The End ( Funky Nassau), George McRae ( Rock Your Baby), KC And The Sunshine Band ( That’s The Way I Like It) and Bobby Caldwell ( What You Won’t Do For Love).
by Howard Campbell
