Byron Lee

Before Bob Marley was a household name, Byron Lee was the only name in reggae circa 1956. His soca-like compositions driven by horns, such as “Soul Limbo” and “Hot Reggae”, with his 14-man outfit the Dragonaires found ample popularity from the international audience, thanks in part to an appearance in and on the soundtrack of the 1962 James Bond film, DR. NO. As much a businessman as an entertainer, Lee created Dynamic Sounds in 1968, becoming one of the first to distribute foreign records for the major North American and European labels, including albums from the Rolling Stones, Roberta Flack, and the Wailers.