About Me
William "Bunny Rugs" Clark, long time lead vocalist for international hit makers Third World, has been a popular figure in Jamaican music for many years. Indeed his first efforts as a singer came just as ska was changing into rock-steady way back in the mid-'60's. He was born in Mandeville in the Jamaican parish of Manchester, but moved to East Kingston when only two years of age. There he grew up in a ghetto community, listening to American R'n'B singers such as Aretha Franklin and Nat King Cole over the radio whilst practicing singing at his local church. In this he was encouraged by his father, who was also a keen singer. Eventually at the age of 15 he was invited to audition at the Kittymat Club on Maxfield Avenue, and subsequently joined the band Charlie Hackett & The Souvenirs. Meanwhile he was attending the Jamaica School Of Arts & Crafts but in 1968 moved to New York, where he became a member of Hugh Hendricks & The Buccaneers, a prominent party band among Brooklyn's expatriate West Indian community. By 1971 he'd formed his own band The Wild Bunch but returned to Jamaica two years later, becoming lead singer with Inner Circle, preceding Jacob Miller's sojourn with the group. Fellow members included keyboardist Ibo Cooper, drummer Willie Stewart and guitarist Cat Coore, who formed Third World shortly afterwards. Rugs himself returned to America to write songs for a prospective major deal with Atlantic. In 1976 Third World performed in New York, and invited Bunny to replace Prilly Hamilton as the band's lead singer. The material he'd prepared for Atlantic ended up on Third World's second album "96 Degrees In The Shade". Thereafter, as a contributing songwriter he helped the group achieve considerable crossover success, their infectious brand of roots reggae, funk and even classical music gaining a truly world-wide audience. By the late '80's various members of Third World diversified into writing, recording and producing with other acts, mainly in Jamaica. With Cat Coore, Rugs played and sang for Fatis Burrell's Xterminator label alongside artists like Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths and Capleton, apparently recording an entire album of original material. He also recorded songs for Leggo's, Tuff Gong and Third World's own label, as well as working on Cat Coore's solo album. Most notably he's worked at Black Scorpio, where the new "Talking To You" album evolved in an apparently natural, unhurried manner, leaving him with a wide-ranging set of songs (both cover versions and original) ideally suited to both a dance hall and more adult market. These include the title track written by The Wailers' Junior Marvin, who specifically requested Bunny to record it and a remix of "Now That We Found Love" which features Mad Cobra and Papa San, the original O'Jays song, which was a national chart hit for Third World in 1978. Also featured is "Shanty Town/007", a former UK chart smash for rock-steady star Desmond Dekker in the late '60's. With three solo albums planned throughout 2008, the launching of a few companies including his own label called COF Music - imultitracks.com and touring will find Rugs with a very busy schedule moving forward all while he continues on being the front man for the legendary "Third World Band"
