Michael George Haynes, known professionally as Michael Prophet, was a Jamaican roots reggae singer known for his "crying" tenor vocal style, whose recording career began in 1977.
10 Facts About Michael Prophet
2.
The impoverished Greenwich Farm district had long been a hotbed of musical activity, and during the late 1970s Michael Prophet Haynes began singing on local sound systems.
3.
Michael Prophet's first release with Jackson, a remake of The Heptones Fight It To The Top, was a strong seller, as were the originals Praise You Jah Jah and Love and Unity.
4.
The widespread popularity of this material, and the Lawes-produced albums Righteous are the Conqueror and Michael Prophet, led to Prophet travelling frequently to London during the mid-1980s.
5.
Michael Prophet then brought out the self-produced albums Love is an Earthly Thing and Blood Stain which were recorded in Jamaica and released in Britain on independent labels.
6.
Michael Prophet cites Bob Andy as his main influence as a singer.
7.
Michael Prophet had his first Jamaican hit with a version of The Heptones' "Fight It To The Top".
8.
Michael Prophet was still performing live even in the last months of his life; his final shows came in September and October of 2017, at the Mekudeshet Festival, Jerusalem, Dub Club @Echoplex, LA, and at the Music Box, San Diego.
9.
Michael Prophet died from a cardiac arrest in Bedford, England, on 16 December 2017, aged 60.
10.
Michael Prophet had been battling lung cancer and was suffering from brain tumours.