Winston Harriott

Winston George “Stretch” Harriott (born 4 May 1953, Kingston, Jamaica) is a long time music profile on the Jamaican reggae scene.

Biography

Winston Harriott is the son of Joyce Facey and Ivanhoe Valentine Harriott and nephew of jazz musician Joseph Arthurlin "Joe" Harriott and singer and record producer Derrick Harriott.

At eleven he was awarded Markus Garwin scholarship to attend Calabar Highschool, one of Jamaicas most prestigious high schools. After high school he went to Collage of Arts, Science and Technology (University of Technology) in Kingston, Jamaica and graduated with a double degree in engineering and architecture 1975.

Living in Trenchtown he grew up knowing Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingstone, Mortimer Planno, Prince Buster, Alton Ellis and many more.

Being a true music lover and being close to the early music industry in Jamaica it was a natural choice to say yes when Bob Marley asked him to work for him 1977. Not being a musician his position was road manager under the tutelage of Don Taylor.

After his work with Bob Marley he went on working with the creme of the crop of Reggae artist such as Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Mighty Diamonds, Heptones, Delroy Wilson, Lascelles Perkins, John Holt among others as record producer, manager, tour manager and advisor.

His work with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare led to Black Uhuru winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.

In the last years he has been aiming at expanding brand Jamaica into the European markets and finding new talents.