Yabby You, who has died of a stroke aged 63, was one of Jamaican music's most individual figures. Known as the "Jesus Dread" because he wore dreadlocks but adhered to the Christian faith rather than the conventional beliefs of Rastafari, he produced a series of sublime devotional recordings from the mid-1970s onwards. The apocalyptic spiritualism of his lyrics, the superb musicianship of his backing band, and the uncommon arrangement of his material, kept his output among the most compelling roots reggae releases ever issued.
