The Viceroys are a group with roots that date back to the very dawn of Reggae Music. It was founded in Bull Bay in 1968 by Wesley Tinglin with Linval Simms, Daniel Bernard, Neville Ingram, Norris Reid and Michael Gabbidon. Rehearsing with different band names like The Brothers, The Tops, The Viceroys and The Interns. When they realised that a Viceroy was the name given to the voice of a King it fit in with the Rastafari message that informed Reggae’s consciousness.
By the time of their first recordings at the Legendary Studio One With Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd however, they had been whittled down to a trio with Tinglin alongside Bernard and Simms for the seminal hits ‘Maaga Down’. & ‘Ya Ho’.
A veritable merry-Go-Round of members would see the likes of Norris Reid, Neville Ingram & Michael Gabbidon flit in and out of the group. Some would emigrate whilst others would leave to pursue solo careers.
Although their recording heyday was in the 70’s and 80s as part of the great Reggae explosion, the group didn’t actually hit the international stage until 2003 when they performed in Paris alongside Roots heavyweights Max Romeo & The Ethiopians. They would then become a mainstay of the Festival circuit with the settled line up of Wesley Tinglin on Lead with Neville Ingram & Michael Gabbidon harmonising and taking lead on selected recordings.
In 2017 The trio provided harmonies behind Ken Boothe for Chapter Two of the famed Inna De Yard project.
In 2018 as the trio were leaving Jamaica for a tour Wesley Tinglin fell ill and collapsed at The Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay Tinglin insisted that Gabbidon and Ingram complete the dates. Still complaining of illness, Tinglin was later taken to hospital and passed away about a month after his group members had returned. Tragedy struck again when a year later Neville Ingram also passed away leaving Michael Gabbidon as the sole member of the group.
Gabbidon kept the name of the group going recruiting new members Andrew Coombs and Clive Hylton. Hylton was replaced by Melvin Trustee who now performs with the trio. In 2023 a series of single releases saw demand for The Viceroys increase again resulting in the planning of an extensive tour for 2024 and beyond.
