LLOYD “The Matador” Daley, a stalwart music producer who fashioned hit songs by Alton Ellis, John Holt and Dennis Brown, died on March 18 in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was 79.
Audley Rollen, a family friend, said Daley died from prostate cancer.
From East Kingston, Daley was a past student of St George’s College and an electrical engineer by profession. He started out in the music business in the late 1950’s, operating The Matador sound system which he produced “specials” for.
In the late 1960’s, his label of the same name began churning out hits by Ellis ( Lord Deliver Us), Equality and Justice (Holt) and Little Roy (Bongo Nyah). The latter is arguably his most successful production.
Lloyd “The Matador” Daley
Daley continued to enjoy more success in the 1970’s. He produced Brown’s Baby Don’t Do It and Things In Life as well as Repatriation which was a hit for Rollen.
Throughout the 1970’s, Daley produced songs by The Wailing Souls, The Gladiators and The Abyssinians.
Interest in his catalog was revived in the 1990’s when independent companies, like Heartbeat Records out of Massachusetts, and Jamaican Gold from the Netherlands distributed compilation albums of his songs.
Lloyd “The Matador” Daley is survived by his wife Deanna and son Kirk.
— Howard Campbell
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