Parapinto Boogie: The Lloyd 'Paro' Clarke Story

One of the best ever voices to have graced Jamaica's music is that of Lloyd Clarke, affectionately called 'Paro'. He was born in Linstead Saint Catherine 1n 1937 and moved to the Jones Town/Trench Town area of Kingston before he was one year old. Paro attended the famous Kingston Secondary High School, also known then as Senior School, and today renamed Kingston High School where he performed at school concerts as well as singing the church. His vocal talent was spotted early and he was encouraged to make a career out of singing.
Like most aspiring singers at the time he entered 'Opportunity Hour', the famous talent- search contest by Vere Johns and he won the contest a few times in the late 1950s. By 1960 he was heading to the recording studio to do his first recording for Author 'Duke' Reid. His first effort, 'Parapinto Boogie' became at instant favourite, first as a dance- hall song being played on the sound system and later released on national radio. Several recordings that became hits in Jamaica and England followed, the like of 'Good Morning' , 'Japanese Girl', 'Girls Rush', 'The Cheat', 'Sixty Years', 'Summertime', 'Now I know The Reason'(with Yvonne Harrison), 'Fellow Jamaican' and much more.
Like most of the foundation artistes Paro has never gotten his due reward for his work and had to eek out a livelihood doing jobs such as being a bus conductor, bus driver and security guard. His rather intriguing story is told in the Vintage Boss Productions DVD series, 'Parapinto Boogie, The Lloyd 'Paro' Clarke Story.
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