Winston (Irie) Sumner had a childhood filled with the love music from his mother Stella Crowther Sumner and grand aunt Jany Morgan who inspired him. Winston sung at a variety of talent shows and other programs in his hometown blessed with those inspirations. He was inspired by R&B, Rock and artists such as Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Gladys Knight, Jim Reeves, Bob Andy, Dobby Dobson, Daddy U Roy, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & the Maytals and the great Bob Marley. In 1979 Winston migrated to North America and settled with his family in Brooklyn, New York. After observing different artists and DJ styles, Winston formulated his unique style of singing. He appears at live stage shows, free styling and showing his national ability to deliver various song styles and vocal ranges, allowing him to gain a huge fan base wherever he performs. Winston's first recording was in 1983. "Tribute to Ironman", a record produced by Albert Punch a/k/a Punchie on the Omniscope label, "Slave Driver & Sometime Feelings" were later released on 12 inch vinyl for the Phantom label, followed up by another single "Jah Vibes" in the mid-nineties for Quality Time Records. This single drew attention of DJs and club promoters. These releases received good airplay on many AM & FM radio stations. As a singer on the reggae scene, Winston has performed at numerous benefit functions for a variety of different causes. Events such as AIDS/HIV, Children, Cancer, and Educational Research. He often has to juggle his time to perform with his own band Selective Security, The Hot Heads, High Fashion Rockers, Thunder Bolt HiFi, Natural Sound and his buddy Saxemillion,. There are many others, but they are too numerous to mention. The urban group The Hot Heads got wind of Winston Irie's unique vocal style and asked him to join the group as Co-Lead vocalist with Michael Reiss; after finishing the first CD Urban Dwelling, the label Flip Records signed the Hot Heads in 1995. Together they completed 3 CDs, Urban Dwelling, World Wide Vibe and the 1997 release "Land Mines". The track "Slide" from the Urban Dwelling CD was featured on the HBO series The Sopranos. This talented man serves the heartbeat of the drum and bass flavored with the musical essence of sound and words, which is the front line of music called reggae. Winston has shared the bill and jammed with other great artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Martha Reeves, Richie Havens, A Tribe Called Quest, Paul Schaeffer and R&B greats The Drifters. In the reggae world he has opened for Jimmy Cliff, Joseph Hill (Culture), King Yellowman, Third World, Steel Pulse, Toots & the Maytals. Winston Irie is phenomenal in his own right. Look ahead for he is on his way! The long awaited CD Orthodoxy is now available; stay tuned for upcoming songs "Children of Darfur" and "No Time to Lose". For bookings contact 917-806-1951.
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