Veteran Dancehall Artiste Red Dragon Is Dead

Veteran dancehall artiste Red Dragon died in hospital after battling with an undisclosed illness for some time.  

The entertainer best known for the monster hits 'Hold A Fresh' and 'Agony' was a staple on the dancehall scene during the 1980s.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Red Dragon, whose given name is, Leroy May, deejayed with several sound systems in the early 1980s, including Barrington Hi Fi, Stone Love, People's Choice, and his own Rambo Mango, initially working under the name Redman. 

His "Laughing Dragon" dubplate became popular, prompting a change of stage name to Red Dragon. Some of his early recordings included "Computer" for producer Charlie Chaplin, "Nah Get Nutten" for Harry J, and his first big hit "Hold a Fresh" for Winston Riley. He went on to record for King Tubby and King Jammy, and in 1989 his debut album was released, a split LP with his brother, the deejay Flourgon.

Red Dragon also started his own Dragon label, and moved into production, and helped to nurture the early careers of artists such as Buju Banton and Terry Ganzie. In the early 1990s, he returned to recording, enjoying hits with a variety of producers including Riley, Bobby Digital, and Sly & Robbie, and had a major hit single along with Brian & Tony Gold with "Compliments on Your Kiss" in 1994, the single reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart.