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Artist
Theophilus Beckford
12+ albums
skarocksteadyreggaetrojanstudio one
about
Theophilus Beckford Composer, singer, and pianist Theophilus Beckford has been immortalized as "Easy Snappin'," a nickname given to him after the epochal song he composed in the late '50s. This groundbreaking hit has resonated throughout reggae, with many critics considering it to be the first quintessentially Jamaican pop song. However, Beckford failed to capitalize on the song's success, both monetarily and musically; he never scored another major hit and died still struggling to collect his due. While he always stayed active in the island's music industry, either as a session musician, arranger, or mentor, he is still remembered simply as "Snappin'." Theophilus Beckford was born in 1935 in Kingston, Jamaica. Although his father played in the Jamaican Military Band, the younger Beckford was chided for playing the family piano, and he was forced to learn music first at Kingston's Boys Town School and then with two private tutors. By the mid-'50s, he purchased his own piano, and played backup on calypso tracks for Count Lasher and Lord Flea, with Stanley Motta producing. In 1956, Beckford was working with Clement "Sir Coxsone Downbeat" Dodd, spending long hours in the studio rehearsing and experimenting. Despite his classical training, Beckford took inspiration from the jump blues of Rosco Gordon, as well as the music of Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, and Patti Page. Out of these sessions came "Easy Snappin'," the laid-back boogie shuffle whose emphasis on the off-beats has led
top songs
albums
The Story Of Jamaican Music
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Trojan Explosion
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Studio One Story
![The Story Of Jamaican Music: Forward March 1958-1967 [Disc 1]](https://lastfm.freetls.fastly.net/i/u/174s/ec125b9f87cfa9dfe706723d1b15b135.png)
The Story Of Jamaican Music: Forward March 1958-1967 [Disc 1]
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soul jazz records presents studio one story
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The Story Of Jamaican Music: 1958-1967 [Disc 1]
Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music
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One Original Step Beyond: The Story Of Ska
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The Story of Jamaican Music: Tougher Than Tough Disc 1
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The Evolution of Ska - Calypso, Mento, Jamaican R & B & Bluebeat
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First Train to Skaville, Vol. 1
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Scandal Ska