{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Use British English|date=March 2012}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Junior Tucker | image = | caption = | image_size = | alt = | birth_name = Leslie Tucker | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1966|09|23}} | birth_place = [[Trenchtown]], [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica | instrument = | genre = [[Reggae]], [[dancehall]], [[gospel music]] | occupation = Singer, songwriter, [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]] | years_active = 1973–present | label = [[VP Records]], [[Island Records]], [[Geffen Records]], [[Virgin Records]] | website = [http://www.juniortucker.com/ Junior Tucker Ministries] }}
'''Leslie Tucker''', known as '''Junior Tucker''' (born 23 September 1966 in [[Trenchtown]], [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], Jamaica), is a Jamaican [[reggae]] singer, who started his career in secular music but who now sings Christian music. His hits included "Happy" and his own composition, "Don't Test".
==Career== His first hit was "Happy", released when he was aged seven years old, and was a No. 1 [[hit single]] in Jamaica, where he was known as the Jamaican [[Michael Jackson]].<ref name=gleaner>{{Cite web |url=https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20030826/mind/mind1.html |title=Jamaica-gleaner.com |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-date=12 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812000934/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20030826/mind/mind1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.juniortucker.com/bio.asp?t=2 |title=Juniortucker.com |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-date=4 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304095238/http://www.juniortucker.com/bio.asp?t=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He performed the tune at the [[One Love Peace Concert]] in 1978.<ref name=AllMusic>{{cite web|last=Rovi|title=Junior Tucker|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/junior-tucker-mn0000253231|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=18 May 2013}}</ref> He had further hits with his [[cover version]] of "[[Some Guys Have All The Luck]]" and, in 1983, recorded the first version of "[[Mr. Telephone Man]]", a 1984 [[Top 40|Top 20]] ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' hit for [[New Edition]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://reggae-exports.com/main.php?nav=3&session=S1KCMTDY423LHL3F&shop=auth&id=9 |title=Reggae-exports.com |access-date=18 March 2010 |archive-date=14 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414163400/http://reggae-exports.com/main.php?nav=3&session=S1KCMTDY423LHL3F&shop=auth&id=9 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He then studied [[audio engineering]] at the [[Institute of Audio Research]] in New York City, and following his study began to write his own songs. "Don't Test", one of his first compositions, became an international hit earning him a recording contract with [[Virgin Records|Virgin]] in 1989. "Don't Test" peaked at No. 54 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in June 1990.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 568}}</ref> He was released from his Virgin contract in 1991, returning to Jamaica, where he became a [[dancehall]] act.
Tucker also had international success (especially in Australia in 1991) with a reggae cover of the 1980 [[Benny Mardones]] hit "[[Into the Night (Benny Mardones song)|Into the Night]]". Junior Tucker's version was called "16 (Into The Night)". In 1993, he recorded a No. 1 hit in "Love of a Lifetime", releasing an album of the same name later that year for [[VP Records]].<ref name=AllMusic/>
After the death of his father and birth of his daughter, Tucker went in search of the [[meaning of life]]. After asking God to 'let him sleep', he became a [[born again Christian]], and was baptised. He said that God had led him to move to Florida, where he initially sung at a mostly West Indian church in [[Broward County, Florida|Broward]]. He subsequently moved to New Harvest Church in [[Clewiston]], Florida and enrolled on a [[correspondence course]] degree in Ministry.<ref name=gleaner />
He has recorded several Christian reggae albums including ''Brand New'', ''Ready for the Rapture'', ''Sold Out – Worship from the Islands'' plus ''Victory – Worship from the Islands II''.
==Discography== ===Albums=== *''It's a Small, Small World'' (1978), [[Top Ranking]] *''Take a Message'' (1980), [[Tuff Gong Records]] *''Jr. Tucker'' (1983), [[Geffen Records]] *''Don't Test'' (1990), [[10 Records]] (ARIA #150) *''Love of a Lifetime'' (1993), [[VP Records]] *''True Confession'' (1996), VP Records *''Deep Inside of You'' (1996), Don't Test Productions *''Brand New'' (1998), Word and Worship Music *''Secret Lover'' (2009), [[Jet Star Records|Jet Star]] *''Ready for the Rapture'' (2001), Main Street Music *''Sold Out'' (2005), New Life Music *''Victory'' (2007), Word and Worship Music *''Man of God'' (2010), Word and Worship Music *''Jesus Famous'' (2015), Word and Worship Music *''Journey'' (2024), Word and Worship Music
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ List of charted singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Junior+Tucker|title=Discography Junior Tucker|website=australian-charts.com|access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/2CmTOVp|title=Junior Tucker chart history received from ARIA in May 2024|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date=4 June 2024}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26228/junior-tucker/|title=Junior Tucker {{!}} full Official Chart History|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=23 October 2022}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| "Don't Test" | rowspan="2"| 1990 | — || 54 | rowspan="3"| ''Don't Test'' |- ! scope="row"| "16 (Into the Night)" | 46 || — |- ! scope="row"| "Love Is the Strongest Emotion" | 1991 | 165 || — |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.juniortucker.com/ Official website] *{{discogs artist|150450-Junior-Tucker}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Junior}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica]] [[Category:Jamaican male singers]] [[Category:Jamaican reggae singers]] [[Category:Jamaican male songwriters]] [[Category:Jamaican Christians]] [[Category:People from Clewiston, Florida]] [[Category:VP Records artists]]