Drawing on extensive interviews with Perry and his collaborators, as well as family members and close associates, the book captures a complex portrait of a unique soul driven by creativity, chaos and unseen spiritual forces.
Arguably the most influential force in Jamaican music, Lee 'Scratch' Perry helped bring Bob Marley to international stardom and collaborated with artists from Sir Paul McCartney to The Clash and The Beastie Boys.
People Funny Boy delves behind the myth to offer a fuller examination of Perry's life and work.
'Lee Perry was one of Reggae's most enigmatic creators; an incomparable phenomenon who's sonic sound waves transformed out lives. David Katz's in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan's collection.' *David Rodigan*
'Lee 'Scratch' Perry blew my 13 year old mind back in '69 with a track called 'Tackro'. From that time till this the surreal sonic adventures of Jamaica's Salvador Dali of sound have been an essential part of my life. For the complete picture of this musical genius you can't get better than David Katz's People Funny Boy - if you're into Scratch, it's essential.' *Don Letts*
'A biography that, in many ways, is the story of an entire musical genre . . . If his story is not the greatest ever told, then it is certainly one of the most entertaining, and Katz duly relates many of the more lunatic anecdotes . . . Seldom less than definitive.' *Q*
'Going beyond the standard portrait . . . Katz offers up a vast tome that works as a psychological portrait of a complex artist, and a fascinating history of post-war Jamaican music and culture . . . Marvellous stuff.' *MOJO*
'An exhaustive, brilliantly researched and well-written biography . . . Every recording and motivation is detailed, along with his legion of eccentricities . . . A very good tale.' *NME*
