Marty Dread

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Martin Charles Hennessey best known as Marty Dread (b. 1969) is a reggae artist who lives in Maui, Hawaii.

[edit] Career

Marty Dread was born in The Bronx, New York. He is named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When Dread was eight years old, his father died and his mother moved the family to Maui.

Among the current artists and groups Dread has either sung with or fronted for include: Steel Pulse, Third World, Ziggy Marley, Black Uhuru, Maxi Priest, Messenjah, Pato Banton and country singer Willie Nelson.

In 1994, Dread launched his own record label, Five Corners Music, with the release of Versatile Roots - an album that includes a duet with Kris Kristofferson. After sharing a concert bill with Dread, Kristofferson offered to lend a hand in the recording studio, resulting in the song, "Reggae Blues".

Dread's popularity got another boost in 1996 with the release of Reggae for Love, which sold four times as many copies as Dread's earlier recordings.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, Dread released his first live album, Marty Dread Live! (recorded on the Big Island of Hawaii) and made two successful tours of California, including stops at the House of Blues in Hollywood.

One of the songs on Dread's 1999 release, Reggae Suite, was recorded at the House of Blues when Dread opened for The Wailers.

In the year 2000, Dread released his fifth album, Keiki Reggae (aka Reggae for Children) with tracks that included singing by school children from throughout Maui County, and a special appearance by Pato Banton. Keiki Reggae was nominated for "Best Reggae Album of the Year" at the 24th annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards in Honolulu by members of the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts.

In December 2001, Dread released his sixth album, On The Beach. In May 2002, it was nominated for "Best Reggae Album of the Year" at the 25th annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards. One of Dread's songs, "Mahalo and Praise", included Hawaiian lyrics that his friend, Frank Munden helped to write.