Biography

Jamaican-born songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Winston Anthony Morris first achieved major acclaim in the late '60s as a founding member of the African Brothers, a reggae vocal trio he formed with Sugar Minott and Derrick Howard. All three were still teenagers at the beginning of the band's existence, and they recorded multiple popular singles before disbanding in the mid-'70s. While Howard went on to produce, both Minott and Morris pursued solo ventures, with Tony Tuff's first solo outing arriving in the form of 1978's Tony Tuff Meets Errol Schorder, a split release with Errol Scorcher, whose name was misspelled in the album title. Morris would spend much of the '80s working with top-tier reggae producers such as Yabby You, who produced a self-titled album in 1980, as well as Henry Lawes, who produced 1983's Come Fe Mash It as well as two of Tuff's highest-charting singles, "Mix Me Down" and "Water Pumpee." Tuff released multiple albums, singles, and compilations throughout the '80s, but had almost no musical output throughout the '90s. The 2000s brought a handful of new solo releases, including 2001's Hit and Run, 2006's How Long, and a 2009 companion piece How Long Dub, remixed in a dub style by Jah Shakka. The 2000s also brought a brief reunion between Morris and Minott, who re-formed the African Brothers for 2004's Mysterious Nature album. Tuff also enjoyed an expanded touring schedule in the early part of the decade, doing multiple stops in Europe, Canada, and the United States. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi