Garnet Silk, born Garnet Damion Smith in Bromelia, in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica, on the second day of April 1966.
On December 10th 1994 Garnett Silk, one of Reggae’s most revered and promising stars passed away. In Jamaica, he was quietly remembered, as radio stations across the country paid homage to the music phenomena that left us too soon.
Born in the sleepy town of Hatfield in Manchester, Jamaica, Garnett born Damion Smith, inhibited musical aspirations as a young boy and by his mid teens had taken on the moniker “little Bimbo”.
But it was not until his move from rural Jamaica to central Kingston did the artist we know as Garnett Silk begin to take shape. After stints with various labels including stalwarts such as Sugar Minott Youth Promotions and Penthouse Records, he collided with the musical tag team Steele & Clevie, who some credit for discovering the silky smooth voice that became the signature sound behind the man we now know as Garnett Silk.
During a brief sabbatical in 1992, Garnett had become an understudy of Rastafari, and close friends with Tony Rebel, and Yasus Afari, two influential members of the fledging Roots Dancehall scene.
Under this strong mentorship, Garnett became involved with the world renowned Roof International Label, a small recording outfit located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
There, he recorded early hit singles such as “Mama”, and “Nothing Can Divide Us” amongst others. His success sparked local radio, mesmerized the dancehall, and soon captured the ears of Kingston based producer, Bobby Digital, who invited the rising star to record his debut full length album entitled, “Its Growing”.
Sadly on December 10th, under suspicious circumstances, his home caught a blaze and his mother became entrapped in the engulfed home. Despite escaping the inferno, Garnett returned to the flaming building in an effort to rescue his mother.
There were no survivors.
Since that shocking day, over a decade has passed, but the musical legacy left behind speaks his message true.
