THE STAR has been the leading entertainment newspaper for 59 years, and so we have built up an impressive collection of photographs of some of our favourite entertainers. You name them, we have them.

So in our latest feature we will be digging deep into our archives to show you some of the oldest pictures of these artistes. After showcasing pictures of entertainers such as Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel, Tanya Stephens and Marcia Griffiths, this week we look at Big Youth.

Before beginning his musical career, Big Youth, born Manley Augustus Buchanan, worked as a diesel mechanic at Kingston's Sheraton Hotel. While there, he developed his toasting skills and was nicknamed 'Big Youth' by his co-workers.

He started to perform at dances, initially influenced by U-Roy, and became a regular with Lord Tippertone's sound system by 1970, becoming the resident deejay, and attracting the attention of Kingston's record producers.

By 1972, Big Youth had begun working with Augustus 'Gussie' Clarke, a teenage producer whose rhythms and singers were more in tune with the vibes on the streets of Kingston, and The Killer became his first major Jamaican hit, soon followed by Tippertone Rocking.

hugely successful

Following this, he released the hugely successful S-90 Skank, following with We Will Work It Out. This became his first Jamaican No.1 hit, and also featured in a television advert for the Honda motorcycle that inspired it. The first album to feature his vocals, Chi Chi Run, was produced by Prince Buster in 1972.

In 1973, he released his debut album entitled Screaming Target, produced by Gussie Clarke. The album is still considered as a classic. Around this time, he also notched up some success on the singles chart, having seven singles in the chart at one time, and having four singles remain in the top 20 for an entire year. Throughout 1974 and 1975, he continued to record for other producers. His next LP, Dread Locks Dread, was released on Klik Records in 1975.

He signed to Virgin Records' Frontline label in 1977, his first release on the label being the Isaiah First Prophetof Old album, and he also appeared in the film Rockers.

Virgin declined the chance to release his next three albums, however, and as the 1970s came to a close, Big Youth's popularity took a dip.

The modern digital rhythms were far from suited for Big Youth's style, and his forays into the studio became less frequent. In 1990, however, he had some level of success with the Chanting single, produced by Winston 'Niney' Holness, and Free South Africa. In recent times also, songs like Not An Easy Road and Tafari have done well.

THEN: A 'Big Youth' in the 70s