Hailed as one of Jamaica’s biggest dancehall stars, Frankie Paul / F.P. also known as Paul Blake has been making hits for over fifteen years. Born blind and raised by the Salvation Army in Kingston, he began singing at an early age. His parents could not afford to buy him musical instruments and therefore Frankie Paul developed his musical skills and talent in the church and in school. When Frankie Paul was four years old, he went on the Hope Ship where they worked with him for four years enabling F.P. to see through his right eye. His musical genius continued throughout his childhood.
At the age of nine Frankie Paul was suspended for singing in school “too much”. F.P.’s punishment was that he would not be allowed to sing in school for the period of one year. Frankie Paul’s version of Starship’s song “Sara” became his biggest selling hit. His prolific and charismatic style carried F.P. across the globe spreading his fame all over the Caribbean, England, Europe & Japan. Frankie Paul has gained countless merit for both his recordings and his live performance. He has been crowned with a multitude of titles including: F.P. the “Dance Master”, Frankie “Kushunpeng” Paul, “Tune-A-Day” Paul and since 1995 Frankie “Gahgile” Paul.
Currently his musical endeavors have led him to Crucial Youth Productions in Oakland, California where F.P. has collaborated with Rankin’ Scroo of Rankin’ Scroo & Ginger and Money B of Digital Underground. The sound that the three are producing on track continues to accent Frankie Paul’s amazing diversity and musical aptitudes. While still attending the Salvation Army School For The Blind, Frankie Paul met Stucko who introduced him to Earl China Smith, Teddy Renolds and Burtrum Brown. Since that time until this day, Frankie Paul is known throughout Jamaica and the world as one of the most fluent and melodious singers of all-time. At the age of thirteen F.P. sang on his first recording, “African Princess”, recorded at Tuff Gong Studios. After meeting Henry “Jungo”
Laws the following year, Frankie Paul took the Reggae market by storm with a string of hits recorded at Channel One. He performed with the “Mighty Tides”(out of Kingston) where he met A.J. Boots Brown who influenced his musical style and skills. He began to work the hotel-cabaret circuit performing with A.J. in Montego Bay, Portland, Ochi Rios & Kingston. Eventually he continued to perform live with the “High Times Players”. Frankie Paul moved to New York when he was seventeen. His hits continued to bring him fame as F.P.s music stayed on dancehall charts in Jamaica and abroad. In 1984, four of his songs held the Reggae dancehall chart in N.Y. at once: 1. Worries In The Dance, 2. Pass The Kushunpeng, 3. Hooligan 4. Sara
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VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kn2GXI91BY
