Count Prince Miller
Count Prince Miller | |
---|---|
Birth name | Clarence Linberg Miller |
Born | near Port Maria, Jamaica | 30 March 1934
Origin | Saint Mary, Jamaica[1] |
Died | 16 August 2018 | (aged 84)
Genres | Reggae |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
Years active | 1960s–2018 |
Labels | Trojan Records |
Clarence Linberg Miller better known as Count Prince Miller (30 March 1934 – 16 August 2018)[2][3] was a Jamaican-born British actor and musician.
Biography
Miller began as a musician, recording a number of reggae songs.[4] His best known song is "Mule Train Parts One & Two", which was a hit on Trojan Records in 1971, before being re-recorded with Sly and Robbie in the early 1980s.[1] Adding elements of music hall performance to his reggae style, Miller drew comparison with Judge Dread for his somewhat bawdy music.[5] He also regularly appeared with Jimmy James.[6] Known as something of a showman Miller was picked to compere the 1969 Wembley Reggae Festival, the first major reggae music event in Britain.[7]
Acting
As an actor Miller's credits include the role of Vince in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond's, initially an occasional role until the last series, when he became a regular. The character was a member of the fictional group the Georgetown Dreamers, in which Miller was joined by fellow musicians Ram John Holder and Sol Raye, as well as the show's star Norman Beaton. Miller's role continued in the spin-off series, Porkpie.
Earlier, in 1962, Miller appeared as a nightclub dancer in the 1962 James Bond film, Dr. No.[8]
Miller went on to make an appearance in the 2003 film What a Girl Wants, while he secured Best Male Actor Award at the 2006 Black Film Makers' International Awards Ceremony for his role in Winnie and the Duppy Bat.[1] Additionally, Miller played a small role in the 2017 film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as 'Elderly Patient 2'.
Miller also appeared in plays, two of which were written by J. D. Douglas (Black Heroes and JA Story). He was praised for his portrayal of Marcus Garvey in the former.[9]
Honours
In 2007, Miller was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction for his contributions to the music industry in Jamaica.[10]
References
- ^ a b c "Count Prince Miller takes Black Film Makers' 'Best Male Actor' award", Jamaica Gleaner, 25 January 2007. Archived 22 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Legendary entertainer Count Prince Miller dies". Jamaica-gleaner.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Mason, Peter (23 August 2018). "Count Prince Miller obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Count Prince Miller". Discogs. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Polatnick, Gordon. "Judge Dread page in Fuller Up, Dead Musician Directory". Elvispelvis.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Profile of Jimmy James on VH1 website
- ^ Michael de Koningh & Laurence Cane-Honeysett: Young, Gifted And Black, The Story Of Trojan Records, 2003, Sanctuary Publishing, p. 60.
- ^ "Count Prince Miller - Foundation SKA". Skabook.com. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ Weiss, Hedy (21 March 1991). "Regal show hails 'Black Heroes'". Chicago Sun-Times – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ Rose, Dionne (18 October 2007). "Honours". The Weekly Gleaner – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Retrieved 16 May 2014.
External links
- Use dmy dates from March 2012
- Jamaican male television actors
- Jamaican expatriates in the United Kingdom
- Jamaican reggae musicians
- Commanders of the Order of Distinction
- 2018 deaths
- People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica
- 1934 births
- 20th-century Jamaican male actors
- 21st-century Jamaican male actors
- Caribbean musician stubs
- Jamaican people stubs