Admiral Bailey

Admiral Bailey, born Glendon Orville Bailey on March 15, 1966, in Kingston, Jamaica, rose to become one of dancehall's dominant figures between the mid-1980s and early 1990s, described by chroniclers of the era as 'the hottest dancehall star of the late 1980s.' He began on U-Roy's King Sturgav Hi-Fi sound system and was introduced to producer King Jammy's studio by fellow deejay Josey Wales, a connection that shaped the run of hits that followed.

His signature song, 1987's "Punaany," built around the repeated hook 'Gimme punaany, want punaany, any punaany is the same punaany,' was initially banned from Jamaican radio for its explicit content and was later re-recorded with cleaner lyrics under the title "Healthy Body." It became the title track of the influential Greensleeves Rhythm Album 5: Punanny. Other hits from this period include the duet "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" with Chaka Demus, "Politician," "Chatty Chatty Mouth," and "Ballot Box" (featuring Josey Wales).

His debut album, Kill Them With It, appeared in 1987, followed by Undisputed (1988), Born Champion (1991), Original (1991), and Mi Big Up (1992). By the 1990s he had moved toward a more 'clean,' family-friendly performance style than many of his slackness-oriented peers, appearing in bank commercials and collaborating with bandleader Byron Lee on soca productions.