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When it comes to colourful, larger-than-life characters, the reggae-dancehall space has produced its fair share. And none was more colourful that the man named Harold Jackson, but known to all as Joe Lickshot, “the original pioneer from ancient day”.
His name alone speaks volumes about who he was. Joe Lickshot passed away last week, his brother, Robert Heptones, confirmed to The Gleaner. He was still a regular on the dancehall scene, but unknown to most, he was battling prostate cancer.
Joe Lickshot wasn’t a singer, a deejay, a singjay nor a selector, but, like many of the players in the dancehall, he was ingenious. He identified a niche and seized the opportunity to create a character who, through the years, became woven in the fabric of dancehall. He made his name, especially on dubplates, as the hypest intro man in dancehall.
Entertainment analyst, Clyde McKenzie, in paying tribute to Joe Lickshot, remembered him as “an irrepressible character and great story-teller”.
“It is important to fully comprehend the role of a [man like] Joe Lickshot in the space,” Clyde McKenzie told The Gleaner. “He was a critical supporting player, especially in the live entertainment space.”
Explaining further, he added, “Dancehall is a lot of noise and drama and Joe Lickshot provided that. He added colour and added a certain level of dynamism in the space. He had a gift for simulating explosions ... lick shots ... and his accurate mimicry of those sounds heightened the entertainment level for patrons. And people used his skill for colour in the live space, as well as on dubplate specials.”
Joe Lickshot, whose preferred style of dressing was khaki suits, lived the sound system culture. He was aligned to artistes such as the legendary Early B, on whose track, Rambo, his sound effects can be heard. There are numerous videos of him on stage at various times with artistes like Early B, Puddy Roots, Josey Wales, Ranking Prendergast, John Wayne and Super Cat, alongside sound systems such as Stone Love, Killamanjaro, Stur Gav and others.
“Dem man deh like Joe Lickshot do nuff fi di music business,” Black Star Liner singer, Fred Locks told The Gleaner. “Him create a character fi himself and mek nuff people enjoy coming to the dance. Every Thursday him deh a Original Dancehall Thursdays ... and is a man who nah pass and don’t hail mi. I saw him up to the other day ... ‘bout three weeks ago. Jah Jah ... mi shocked fi hear seh Lickshot dead”.
Singer, Little Devon, said that he too was surprised to hear that Joe Lickshot had passed, and smiled at the very mention of his name.
“Joe Lickshot is a vibesman ... a man who full of joy. Anywhere him go him have people a laugh and enjoy themselves. Back inna di days when man like Early B a deejay pon di circuit, Lickshot will just come and stand up beside Early B. And when Early B give him a hol’ off di mic, Joe just lick some shot and place mash up. Dem man deh nice up plenty dance,” Little Devon, whose real name is Devon Morgan shared with The Gleaner.
Mention of Early B triggered a memory for Fred Locks, who laughed as he recounted a story from the early days of dancehall.
“Mi remember one time Joe Lickshot run up pon stage and tek di mic from Early B and him just hol’ it and a look pon di crowd. We did expect him fi lick some shot and everybody a wait fi hear it, but nuh sound a come from him mouth. After more than a minute Joe Lickshot seh, him face serious yuh nuh ...’That was the silencer!’ Dance mash up! People dead wid laugh,” an animated Fred Locks recalled.
Little Devon added, “Di music lose a great soul and the original vibes of that style. Man like Jackie Knockshot and Fuzzy Jones ... pioneers just like Joe ... used to give we dem style deh to. That was a great vibes, especially to the singers during the ‘70s and ‘80s”
Singjay Anaconda waxed lyrical on his summation of the character known as Joe Lickshot, who “always appear wid a sudden impact”.
“Lickshot build and generate him own energy; Lickshot create him own forward; and Lickshot create him owna space,” Anaconda stated.
He hailed Joe Lickshot as the vibesmaster who walked in the company of the greatest entertainer, but who still took time to acknowledge those who were trying to build a career.
“Is a man who if yuh a sing and nah connect, but yuh deh pon key, him will still put a energy pon it and will give yuh a ‘prang, prang, prang prang ... chum chum’. Him was like that. Mi neva even know seh Lickshot dead. Condolences to him family from all a we,” Anaconda said.
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