‘Confidence is the keyword for letting go of the constraints that inhibit us from true expression’. Colonel Red has learnt on an undulating journey that has taken him from his Birmingham birthplace, the second of four sons born to a Jamaican father and an English mother in the 60′s to the independent artist he is today.

In an atmosphere of racial unrest that had him ‘locked up’ at the age of 15, he emerged inspired by the rich music culture he grew up with and combined with Rastafarian philosophy saw a young rude boy Redz sporting a natty Afro as he began to develop his craft. His first experience of the industry ‘and flying’ was being whisked off to the US in business class in the 90′s on a major record deal whirlwind and extensive radio tour. A far cry from a later complete reinvention as an independent artist building from the ground up and producing his own debut Colonel Red album ‘Blue Eye Blak’ at the turn of the new millenium.

Since then, Colonel Red has worked with and written for such artists as Maurice White, Lenny White, Alex Acuna, Amp Fidler, Keith Sweat, Teddy Pendergrass, Anita Baker, Jerry Hey & the Seawind Orchestra, Shara Nelso, Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam, Sandra St.Victor, IG Culture, Bugz in the Attic, Ursula Rucker, Tony Allen, Dwight Trible, The Last Poets, Brian Jackson and many more soul legends. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.