Shaggy Tickets

Best known for his international hit songs such as “Oh Carolina”, “It Wasn't Me” and “Boombastic”, Shaggy is a Jamaican-American performer who was born in 1968. With the real name of Orville Richard Burrell, Shaggy has been singing popular reggae music since the early 1990s. Born in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, the musician is based in New York City, where he writes, records and undertakes DJ work from time to time. The title Shaggy was given to him by friends as a nickname and is said to come from a character in a TV series broadcast in Haiti.

Shaggy's early life and military career

Raised in Jamaica and the US, Shaggy served in the military for a time before his musical career took off. He enlisted as a marine and was involved with the deployment of field artillery. Shaggy served in the 10th Marine Regiment during the Persian Gulf War and was promoted to the rank of lance corporal for a time. The musician is reported to have developed his singing style while in the military but took proper vocal lessons in the late 1980s after he had returned to civilian life.

Shaggy's career highlights

Shaggy had his first hit record in 1993. This was a dancehall reworking of “Oh Carolina”, an old ska tune that had been popular in Jamaica and the UK. Featuring the singer's trademark low-pitched vocals, it got to number 59 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and hit the top spot in the UK. Taken from the singer's forthcoming album, the single was followed up by “Nice and Lovely”, a track that fared less well but which was still a minor hit in Britain.

Shaggy put out Pure Pleasure later in the year. It included “Big Up”, another single. The singer then came back with “Boombastic” in 1995, which got to the top of the R 'n' B charts in the US, as well as providing the artist with another number one hit in the UK. The song really made Shaggy's name as an international artist. It was a success in many countries, including Australia, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Sweden and New Zealand. A few years later, Shaggy scored another notable hit with “That Girl”, a song that was recorded with Maxi Priest.

In 2000, Hot Shot came out. It was a huge success and went multi-platinum. Nevertheless, his two subsequent albums after the turn of the century were less well received by the public. Despite this, Shaggy continued to create hits and award-winning work, such as his contribution to True Love by Toots and the Maytals, an album of 2004.

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