Danny Clarke obit

Danny Clarke (The Meditations) passed away

 He was not on the list.

Sad news  about his band-mate, brother and friend was shared with the reggae community by Ansel Cridland of The Meditations.

Danny Clarke, one of the founding members of the Jamaican roots reggae vocal trio The Meditations, sadly passed away on July 27, 2024. Before his time with The Meditations, which he co-founded in late 1974 along with Ansel Cridland and Winston Watson, Clarke was part of The Righteous Flames, fronted by Winston Jarrett.

The Meditations, a group reminiscent of the Mighty Diamonds, first gained attention with a string of impactful singles under producers Lee Perry and Dobby Dobson. Their notable tracks included Running From Jamaica, No Peace, House Of Parliament, and Much Smarter. Further hits, including Wake Up, Fly Your Natty Dread, and the massive Woman Is Like A Shadow, for a variety of Jamaican producers highlighted their musical prowess.

Their first full length LP Message From the Meditations, produced by Dobby Dobson and released on the Wild Flower label in 1977, was a minor classic. In 1978, it was followed by the album Wake Up for the same producer. Soon thereafter came their third LP, Guidance, produced by Ansel Cridland.

Innovative and resilient in ways that few bands can match, The Meditations endured through the dancehall period, producing a number of solid, if not exceptionally successful albums. Their 1983 album, No More Friend, produced by Linval Thompson, was well-received. Originally this album was a solo project between Linval and Ansel Cridland. This was during the time that Ansel took a break from the group, prompted by a bad leg injury. Ansel stayed at home in Jamaica when Winston Watson and Danny Clarke immigrated to the United States. While Cridland was in Jamaica, Clarke and Watson recorded 1988’s For The Good of Man without him. Upon Cridland’s return to the US in 1993, they were reunited for Return Of The Meditations. Besides recordings with The Meditations, Clarke also released several solo records.

Danny Clarke and The Meditations are part of the foundation of reggae music, some of the legends who have sculpted the roots reggae sound with their years of contributions to the genre.