Lee "Scratch" Perry

Whether Lee "Scratch" Perry got his nickname through some association with the Devil or because he's well known for being more than a little crazy and likely to lash out like a feral cat is up for debate. Regardless, that ornery disposition may be the reason he's outlived almost all...

By Tom Murphy

November 16, 2006

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Whether Lee "Scratch" Perry got his nickname through some association with the Devil or because he's well known for being more than a little crazy and likely to lash out like a feral cat is up for debate. Regardless, that ornery disposition may be the reason he's outlived almost all of his fellow reggae legends. Along with King Tubby, Perry is one of the original purveyors of the slow, echo-haunted, bass-driven form of reggae known as dub -- a style that influenced acts like the Clash and PiL, who heisted the style and created their own unique blend of prog, reggae and nihilism. Every bit as influential as his Jamaican contemporaries Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, Perry continues to release new, fascinating material and tour at the venerable age of seventy.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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