BIOGRAPHY
196x
- Patrick Murray was born 1961, in London, England.
- Patrick moved to Birmingham, England when he was 8.
197x
- Patrick was a MC in his stepfather's V-Rocket Reggae Sound System.
- Patrick's stepfather (Lester Daley, a Jamaican DJ) named him "Pato" (Jamaican "wise" owl).
- Patrick was part of the Crucial Music band.
198x
- Pato won a talent contest judged by Roger "Ranking" Charlery and Dave Wakeling (of The English Beat). It was there that Pato and Roger became friends.
- Pato and Roger recorded the song "Pato & Roger A Go Talk" for The Beat's "Special Beat Service" album in 1982.
- Pato auditioned at Fashion Records. The producers renamed him Pato Banton (a "banton" is a heavy-weight lyricist).
- Pato recorded the song "Hello Tosh" (produced by Ranking Roger) in 1985. "Hello Tosh" was used on Toshiba's advertising campaign. It was number 3 in the independent reggae charts of the UK.
- Pato and Private Domain recorded the song "Absolute Perfection". It was number 1 in the music charts of Peru.
- Pato opened Ziggy Marley's North American tour in 1989.
199x
Pato Banton
Photo from "Wize Up!" (1990)
Photo from "Wize Up!" (1990)
- Pato and David Hinds (of Steel Pulse) recorded the song "Wize Up! (No Compromize)" for Pato's "Wize Up!" album in 1990.
- Pato and Roger recorded the song "Bubbling Hot" for Pato's "Universal Love" album. "Bubbling Hot" was top 20 in the music charts of the UK.
- Pato, Ali Campbell and Robin Campbell (of UB40) recorded a cover version of Eddy Grant's song "Baby Come Back" for Pato's "Collections" album in 1994. "Baby Come Back" was number 1 in the music charts of the UK for 4 weeks and top 5 in more than 20 countries.
- Pato and Sting recorded a remix version of Sting's song "This Cowboy Song". It was top 10 in the music charts of the UK and South America.
- Pato and Sting recorded a cover version of The Police's song "Spirits In A Material World" for Pato's "Stay Positive" album.
200x
- Pato recorded the song "Drive-By Shooting" after 2 of his sons were shot accidentally in a drive-by shooting in Birmingham in 2000.
- Pato's "Life Is A Miracle" album was nominated for the Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2001.
- Pato and Viv Taylor (of the Community Safety in Handsworth) started the Muzik Links community project in 2001.
- Pato started the School of Musical Arts and Technology in Birmingham in 2002. "I reached a point where I was fulfilled with my career and considered slowing down. My studio here in Birmingham was next to the local community centre. Every day kids would knock on the door wanting to come in and see what I was doing. I wanted to work with them, to teach them and give them opportunities to make music. It's been an amazing journey. We are tapping into what is inside the students already, bringing it out. We are working with some outstanding talent. It's so rewarding. Music gives them something to focus their energy on."
- Pato was awarded the BBC's Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to positive change.
- Pato was awarded the Black Music Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contribution to the British Music Industry.
Pato Banton At The Barfly (2006)
[LtR] Ranking Roger, Yaz Alexander & Pato Banton
Photo by Andy Brouwer
[LtR] Ranking Roger, Yaz Alexander & Pato Banton
Photo by Andy Brouwer
DISCOGRAPHY
Mad Professor
Captures Pato Banton
Captures Pato Banton
1985
- My Opinion
- Give Me Oil
- King Step
- Nuff King Of Dread
- Gwarn! (Go On)
- Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton
Never Give In
1988
- Pato & Roger Come Again
- Never Give In
- Don't Sniff Coke
- Settle Satan
- Hello Tosh
- Absolute Perfection
- Don't Worry
- Handsworth Riot
- Gwarn!
- Too Much War
- Pato's Opinion
- King Step
Visions Of The World
1989
- Third World Country
- Bad Man And Woman
- Roots, Rock, Reggae
- Wishing On A Star
- Pressure
- Visions Of The World
- Ready Me Ready
- Jah's Reggae
- Pato's Opinion Part 2
- Never Give In
Mad Professor
Recaptures Pato Banton
Recaptures Pato Banton
1990
- Recaptured
- Riot
- Satan
- Mr. Singh
- Worries
- Live As One
Wize Up!
(No Compromize)
(No Compromize)
1990
- From Now On
- Give A Little Love
- Situation Crazy
- Wize Up!
- Don't Stop The Music
- Niceness
- I'm Addicted
- All Drugs Out
- Celebrate (Mandela's Freedom)
- Spirits In A Material World
Live & Kickin
All Over America
All Over America
1991
- Don't Worry
- Don't Sniff Coke
- Niceness
- Too Many Homeless
- All Drugs Out
- From Now On
- Handsworth Riot
- Roots, Rock, Reggae
- Settle Satan
- Gwarn!
- Never Give In
Universal Love
1992
- Go Pato
- Universal Love
- Save Your Soul
- Bubbling Hot
- United We Stand
- Too Many Homeless
- Same Old Game
- Only Love
- Doctors Of Love
- War
- One World (Not Three)
Collections
1994
- Baby Come Back
- Bubbling Hot
- Don't Sniff Coke
- Tudo De Bom
- Wize Up!
- One World (Not Three)
- Spirits In A Material World
- Roots, Rock, Reggae
- Gwarn!
- Go Pato
- Bad Man And Woman
- Never Give In
- Save Your Soul
- All Drugs Out
- Pato's Opinion Part 2
Stay Positive
1996
- Now Generation
- Groovin'
- Stay Positive
- Live As One
- Sending All My Love
- One People
- Rwanda
- One Love
- Ven A Mi Fiesta
- Gotta Be A Change
- Deeper Than The Surface
- Revelation
- Spirits In A Material World
Life Is A Miracle *
2000
- Legalize It!
- Mama Nature
- Life Is A Miracle
- Are You Ready?
- Time Come
- Never Too Late
- Movin'
- Sweet Reggae Music
- Good Old Days
- X Amount Of Love
- United We Stand
* Also released as Time Come
Tudo De Bom
Live In Brazil
Live In Brazil
2000
- Now Generation
- Bubbling Hot
- Gwarn!
- Go Pato
- Niceness
- Jamming
- Stay Positive
- Groovin'
- Tudo De Bom
- Baby Come Back
- One World Is Enough
- Settle Satan
- Life Is A Miracle
Live At The Maritime
2001
- Revelation
- Situation Crazy
- Stay Positive
- Jamming
- One World (Not Three)
- Legalize It! (Acapella)
- Don't Sniff Coke
- My Opinion / What The World Needs Now Is Love
Positive Vibrations
2006
- Good News
- One World Is Enough
- No Worry Your Mind
- Stay Positive
- Gwarn!
- Don't Sniff Coke
- Go Pato
- Niceness
- Now Generation
- Handsworth Riot
- Never Give In
- No Worry Dub [Spears Remix]