Tony Tuff

Tony Tuff

Also known as: Winston Morris

Winston Anthony Morris (1 April 1955 - 20 April 2024), known professionally as Tony Tuff, was a Jamaican conscious roots reggae singer and a member of The African Brothers in the late 1960s and 1970s before embarking on a solo career.

Biography
Tuff started his career in 1969 as a member of the vocal trio The African Brothers, along with Sugar Minott and Derrick "Bubbles" Howard. The African Brothers split up in the mid-1970s, and Tuff pursued other work outside music until he returned as a solo artist in the late 1970s, with the album Tony Tuff Meets Errol Schorder [sic], split with Errol Scorcher, and self-productions including the "I'm So Glad" single on his own Winston label. In 1978, founding his lyrics on Matthew 5, Sermon on the Mount Beatitudes, he released "Deliver Me" Discomix with Sly and Robbie and Sugar Minott at Channel One Studios. He worked with Yabby You on the Tony Tuff album in 1980, and worked with Minott again on the 1981 album Presenting Mr. Tuff, released on Minott's Black Roots worked on several sound systems in the late 1970s and 1980s, including Lees Unlimited and Henry "Junjo" Lawes' Volcano system. Drawing lyrical inspiration from Parables in Luke 12 Tony Tuff released "Love Light Shining" with Coxsone Dodd. The horns melody and bass line from the song was later reworked by Hugh Mundell in his Scientist-produced Discomix track "Red Gold and Green."Joseph Hoo Kim also released a version of the tune with Tony Tuff, recorded at Channel One Studios, their recording studio in Maxfield Avenue, West Kingston, Jamaica. Junjo Lawes also produced several successful singles by Tuff including "Water Pumpee" (which peaked at number 10 on the Jamaican singles chart), and "Mix Me Down", and also produced his 1983 album Come Fe Mash It. He continued to be active during the 1980s, but was largely absent from the music scene in the 1990s. He returned in 2000 and recorded several albums in the new millennium, including recording the album How Long and a selection of Discomixes and dubplates with London Rasta Sound System operator, conscious Roots Reggae artist, Jah Shaka. He toured Europe twice in 2002, before touring Canada and the United States. Tony Tuff died on 20 April 2024, at the age of 69.

Compilations (1)

Comp. 20 Super Hits
Sonic Sounds • 198X
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
20 Super Hits Tony Tuff 20 Super Hits SONCD 0064 CD Sonic Sounds 198X

Credits & Appearances (15)

Production
Arranger 1
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere Tony Tuff From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere TR 527 LP TR International 198X
Producer 4
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Tony Tuff Tony Tuff Tony Tuff ILPS 9619 LP Grove Music 1980 1980
Presenting Mr Tuff Tony Tuff Presenting Mr Tuff BRLP 005 LP Black Roots 1981 1981
Render Your Heart Tony Tuff Render Your Heart CSLP 11 LP CSA 1984 1984
From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere Tony Tuff From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere TR 527 LP TR International 198X
Musicians
Backing Vocals 5
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Ghetto-ology Sugar Minott Ghetto-ology TRLS 173 LP Trojan 1979 1979
Jah Jah Way Yabby U Jah Jah Way ILPS 9615 LP Island 1980 1980
Police In Helicopter John Holt Police In Helicopter GREL 58 LP Greensleeves 1982 1983
Johnny Dollar The Rolands Johnny Dollar LH-M LP 001 LP LH-M 1982 1982
Muggers In The Street Junior Murvin Muggers In The Street GREL 70 LP Greensleeves 1984 1984
Vocals 5
Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Tony Tuff Meets Errol Scorcher Tony Tuff Meets Errol Scorcher Tony Tuff Meets Errol Scorcher MLP 727 LP Mal's 1978 1978
Presenting Mr Tuff Tony Tuff Presenting Mr Tuff BRLP 005 LP Black Roots 1981 1981
Tuff Selection Tony Tuff Tuff Selection ILPS 9714 LP Island 1982 1982
Come Fi Mash It Tony Tuff Come Fi Mash It DSR 1041 LP Volcano 1983 1983
From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere Tony Tuff From Tony Tuff To Lovers Everywhere TR 527 LP TR International 198X

Also Appears On (30)

Artist Album Release Type Label Rec Rel
Tree Of Satta Vol 1 The Abyssinians & Various Artists Tree Of Satta Vol 1 BAFCD 045 CD Blood And Fire 1969-2004 2004
Birth Of Dancehall Various Artists Birth Of Dancehall KSCD 031 CD Kingston Sounds 1976-79 2012
Deliver Me From My Enemies The Yabby You Vibration Deliver Me From My Enemies BAFCD 051 CD Blood And Fire 1977 2006
Roots Rock Reggae Vol 2 Various Artists Roots Rock Reggae Vol 2 DBCDD 058 CD Doctor Bird 1978 2020
Jamaican Gold Ansel Collins With Sly & Robbie Jamaican Gold MS 4 CD Moll Selekta 1979 2002
Different Fashion Various Artists Different Fashion DBCDD 072 CD Doctor Bird 1979-81 2021
The Biggest Dancehall Anthems Various Artists The Biggest Dancehall Anthems GREZCD 4101 CD Greensleeves 1979-82 2002
Let's Go To The Blues Various Artists Let's Go To The Blues CDTRL 417 CD Trojan 1979-85 1998
Deeper Roots Part 2 Yabby You & The Prophets Deeper Roots Part 2 PSCD 84 CD Pressure Sounds 197X 2014
Reggae For Lovers Various Artists Reggae For Lovers CD 307642 CD Hallmark 197X 1997
Family Album Various Artists Family Album LP Jah Life 1980 1980
Roots With Quality Niney Roots With Quality DB2CD 145 CD Doctor Bird 1980-83 2024
Revue Records Presents Symphonies Of Love Various Artists Revue Records Presents Symphonies Of Love DBCDD 111 CD Doctor Bird 1980-86 2023
Volcano Eruption Henry Junjo Lawes Volcano Eruption VPCD 4162 CD 17 North Parade 1981-85 2010
Hypocrite Inna Dance Hall Style Various Artists Hypocrite Inna Dance Hall Style CD Channel One 1983
Smashing Superstars Various Artists Smashing Superstars STLP 1015 LP Vista 1983 1983
Presenting The Posse Vol 2 Various Artists Presenting The Posse Vol 2 UTLP 002 LP Black Roots 1983-85
Radication Squad Presents Adam And Eve Various Artists Radication Squad Presents Adam And Eve JJ 194 LP Empire 1984 1984
The CSA Collection Vol 2 Various Artists The CSA Collection Vol 2 CSLP 17 LP CSA 1984 1984
The CSA Collection Vol 3 Various Artists The CSA Collection Vol 3 CSLP 20 LP CSA 1984-85 1985
Ride The Rhythm Various Artists Ride The Rhythm LP 008 LP Top Rank 1985 1985
Black Solidarity Presents String Up The Sound System Various Artists Black Solidarity Presents String Up The Sound System BSLP 001 LP Black Solidarity 198X 2014
Cornerstone Presents Battle Of The Superstars Various Artists Cornerstone Presents Battle Of The Superstars LP Corner Stone 198X
Hidden Treasures Various Artists Hidden Treasures ES 1003 CD Easy Star 198X 1999
Hidden Treasures Vol 2 Various Artists Hidden Treasures Vol 2 ES 1005 CD Easy Star 198X 2000
Presenting The Posse Vol 1 & 2 Various Artists Presenting The Posse Vol 1 & 2 UPTLP 21 LP Uptempo 198X 1992
Romantic Nights Various Artists Romantic Nights CD CSA 198X 1987
Total Recall - Volcano Vol 1 Various Artists Total Recall - Volcano Vol 1 VPCD 1189 CD VP 198X 1992
Trojan Eighties Box Set Various Artists Trojan Eighties Box Set TJETD 253 CD Trojan 198X 2005
Fisherman Style Various Artists Fisherman Style BAFCD 050 CD Blood And Fire 2005 2006
12 albums
15 credits
15 labels
1978 - 1986