Enos McLeod

Enos McLeod (born 1946 in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae singer and producer whose career began in the mid-1960s. Before entering music, he trained as a cabinet-maker and boxer. His debut single, "Mackie," was produced by Sid Bucknor at Studio One, where McLeod also learned the fundamentals of record production. He soon found success producing tracks for prominent artists like Gregory Isaacs, Ken Boothe, and The Gaylads, and gave Michael Williams his stage name, Prince Far I. McLeod also produced Augustus Pablo’s 1975 album Thriller, while continuing his own singing career with hits such as "Tel Aviv," "Hi-Jacking," and "If You Love Jah", as well as collaborations like "Jestering" with Shorty the President and "Jericho" with The Mighty Diamonds. In the mid-1970s, McLeod combined his musical and boxing skills by working as a bouncer for producer Joe Gibbs while participating in studio sessions with engineer Errol Thompson. During this period, he released notable vocal tracks including "Money Worries" and his biggest hit, "By the Look," a version of Dennis Brown’s "Cheater". He also recorded under the pseudonym Preacher, producing songs such as "Black Moses," "Psalms of David," and "Rhythm Bible." Throughout his career, McLeod continued to record intermittently and eventually relocated to Europe in the 1990s. Despite a sporadic output, his dual role as a singer and producer left a lasting impact on the reggae scene, bridging early Studio One roots with later reggae and dub innovations.