Spanner Banner

Spanner Banner, born Joseph Bonner on February 6, 1969, in Rock Hall, St. Andrew, Jamaica, is one of several successful reggae artists from the Bonner family, whose siblings also include Pliers, Richie Spice, and Snatcha Lion. He began performing in the late 1980s on the Bidia sound system in St. Andrew, developing a smooth, emotionally driven vocal style.

He first drew wider attention with "Life Goes On," produced by Winston Riley, and cemented his reputation as a songwriter by co-writing "Tease Me" for Chaka Demus & Pliers, one of the biggest international reggae crossover hits of the 1990s. His own recording career gathered momentum in the mid-1990s with albums released on RAS and Island Jamaica, including collaborations with the rhythm section Sly and Robbie, among them Now and Forever (1994) and Chill (1995).

In 2001 he relocated to England, where he worked chiefly as a songwriter for the group Freedom Angels while continuing to record and perform across the UK and Europe. He returned to Jamaica in 2004 and began working with Fifth Element Records, later releasing the album Real Love (2001), which featured contributions from Tanya Stephens, Lady Saw, and Sean Paul. In 2009 a Donovan Germain-produced track brought him a career resurgence, earning him the 'Biggest Comeback Artiste' award at the 2010 EME Awards; he went on to found Bonner Yard Productions in 2011.