# Billy Boyo

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{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=December 2018}}
{{No footnotes|date=December 2020}}}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Billy Boyo
| caption           = 
| image_size        = 
| background        = person
| birth_name        = Billy Rowe
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1971|9|21|df=yes}}
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2000|10|29|1971|9|21|df=yes}}
| origin            = Kingston, Jamaica
| instrument        = Vocals
| genre             = DJ [Toasting (Jamaican music)](/source/Toasting_(Jamaican_music)), [Dancehall](/source/Dancehall), [Roots reggae](/source/Roots_reggae), [Reggae](/source/Reggae), Dub
| occupation        = 
| years_active      = 1980–2000
| label             = 
| website           = https://greensleevesrecords.co.uk/artist/billy-boyo/
}}

'''Billy Boyo''' (born '''Billy Theophilus Rowe''', 21 September 1971 – 29 October 2000) was a Jamaican [reggae](/source/reggae) artist born in Kingston, Jamaica, who was arguably the most prolific of the early-1980s child [DJ](/source/Deejay_(Jamaican))s. He is most well known for his songs "One Spliff a Day" and "Billy Boyo in the Area".

==Biography==
Billy Boyo was still in his teens when he emerged in the early 1980s. In 1983, he (together with [Little John](/source/Little_John_(musician)) and [Ranking Toyan](/source/Ranking_Toyan)) went to London where he linked up with producer Silver Kamel.

Along with the above noted "One Spliff a Day", Boyo also charted{{where|date=December 2020}} in 1982 with the
[Scientist (musician)](/source/Scientist_(musician)) engineered and [Henry Junjo Lawes](/source/Henry_Junjo_Lawes)-produced single, "Wicked She Wicked", backed by [Roots Radics](/source/Roots_Radics).

Boyo was relatively prolific in the early stages of his recording career, releasing a number of [Discomix](/source/Discomix) [Roots Radics](/source/Roots_Radics)-backed and Scientist-engineered vocal and dub 12" singles in a comparatively short period from the early to mid 1980s, many on the [Greensleeves Records](/source/Greensleeves_Records) label, yet he only released one sound-clash styled album in his career when alive, mixed by [Errol Thompson (audio engineer)](/source/Errol_Thompson_(audio_engineer)), and thus was arguably more well known at the time as a live MC. Throughout the early to mid-1980s, Billy Boyo recorded with some of the most respected and best selling conscious [Roots Reggae](/source/Roots_Reggae) vocalists and [chant](/source/chant)ers of the period, amongst them [Don Carlos](/source/Don_Carlos), [Dennis Walks](/source/Dennis_Walks), [Linval Thompson](/source/Linval_Thompson), MC Toaster Sammy Dread and [Anthony Johnson (musician)](/source/Anthony_Johnson_(musician)) as well as featuring on popular releases by the then ascending [Dancehall](/source/Dancehall) oriented mic [chant](/source/chant)ers of the day, namely, [Little John (musician)](/source/Little_John_(musician)). Billy Boyo's musical career was short-lived and little was heard of him after the late 1980s, and Boyo died of a brain tumour on 29 October 2000, after a two-month-long struggle.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

== Discography ==
* ''DJ Clash Vol. 2'' ([Little Harry](/source/Little_Harry_Reggae) & Billy Boyo; 1983)
* ''Zim Zim'' (2002)

'''Compilations'''
* ''DJ Clash: 3 the Hard Way'' (Little Harry & Billy Boyo & Nicodemus; 2008)

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081228111720/http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/218 Billy Boyo at Roots Archive]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081204012946/http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile Myspace page with songs and videoclips of Boyo]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyo, Billy}}
Category:1969 births
Category:2000 deaths
Category:Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica
Category:Jamaican reggae musicians

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Billy Boyo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Boyo) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Boyo?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.