{{Short description|Jamaican record producer}} '''Donovan Germain''' [[Order of Distinction (Jamaica)|OD]] (born 7 March 1952 in [[Jamaica]]) is a [[reggae]] [[Record producer|producer]], one of the most successful of the digital era.
==Biography== Germain's entry into the music industry was via his record shop in [[New York City]] in the 1970s.<ref name="Larkin">Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, {{ISBN|0-7535-0242-9}}</ref> He began production in 1972, visiting Jamaica for recording sessions, working in both [[roots reggae]] and [[lovers rock]]. As a producer he had hits on the reggae charts with the likes of [[Cultural Roots]]' "Mr. Boss Man" in 1980, and broke through into the UK Singles Chart in the early and mid-1980s with [[Sugar Minott]]'s "Good Thing Going" and [[Audrey Hall]]'s "One Dance Won't Do".<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="Barrow">Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae", Rough Guides, {{ISBN|1-84353-329-4}}</ref> He ran the Revolutionary Sounds label which started in the early 1980s and ran from New York, and also ran the Rub-a-Dub, Reggae, and Germain labels.<ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, {{ISBN|0-87930-655-6}}</ref><ref name="obs">"[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080301T030000-0500_133101_OBS_RECORD_PRODUCERS___THE_BIG___.asp Reggae Producers - The Big 5] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313235933/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20080301t030000-0500_133101_obs_record_producers___the_big___.asp |date=March 13, 2008 }}", [[Jamaica Observer]], 2 March 2008</ref> One of Germain label's most well-known records on the sound system circuit in UK, especially on [[Jah Shaka]] sound, was Sam Bramwell's ''It ago Dread inna [[Babylon]]'', which Bramwell-- previously a vocalist with [[ The Chantells]] -- recorded with [[ The Revolutionaries]].
He returned to [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] in 1987 and opened his ''Penthouse Studio'' on Slipe Pen Road (originally located on the top floor — hence the name — now located on Ballater Avenue and including a pressing facility), which soon became highly in-demand, and became one of the island's top studios, with Germain becoming recognized as one of the very top reggae producers, taking over as Jamaica's leading producer from [[King Jammy]].<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="Barrow" /><ref name="Henry">Henry, Davina (2013) "[http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131013/ent/ent2.html Penthouse Celebrates 25 Years]", ''[[Jamaica Gleaner]]'', 13 October 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013</ref> In the early days of the studio he worked with such renowned artists as [[Freddie McGregor]], [[Delroy Wilson]], [[Marcia Griffiths]], and [[Tenor Saw]], and went on to enjoy great success with [[Buju Banton]] (who with Germain had more Jamaican number one singles than any other artist), [[Mad Cobra]], [[Cutty Ranks]], [[Morgan Heritage]], [[Wayne Wonder]], and [[Beres Hammond]].<ref name="Thompson" /><ref name="obs" /><ref name="Henry" /> In 2012, Germain received Jamaica's Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Award for Producer of the Year (reggae).<ref name="White">White, Nadine (2013) "[http://vision-newspaper.co.uk/donovan-germain-blasts-current-state-of-dancehall-music/ Donovan Germain blasts current state of dancehall music]", ''Vision newspaper'', 24 June 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2014</ref>
In October 2014, the [[Institute of Jamaica]] awarded Germain a silver [[Musgrave Medal]] for his contribution to music.<ref name="Campbell1410">Campbell, Howard (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Winkler--Germain-and-Gussie-get-medals_17715611 Winkler, Germain and Gussie get medals]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014</ref><ref>Johnson, Richard (2014) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Musgrave-winners-lauded_17789930 Musgrave Winners Lauded]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014</ref> In August 2015, it was announced that he would be awarded the [[Order of Distinction (Jamaica)|Order of Distinction]] by the Jamaican government.<ref>Campbell, Howard (2015) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Ronnie-Burke-heads-field-of-distinction_19222589 Ronnie Burke heads field of distinction]", ''[[Jamaica Observer]]'', 7 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.penthousereggae.com]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Germain, Donovan}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Jamaican record producers]] [[Category:Recipients of the Musgrave Medal]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of Distinction]]