b. Alvin James Brown, Jamaica, West Indies. Brown began his career on the north coast of Jamaica following a successful audition at the Seawind Hotel in Montego Bay. In 1978, he began performing regularly on the tourist circuit until winning a talent contest in 1980. The competition was organised by a German electronics company which sponsored the singer on a two-month tour of Germany. The tour led to him being recruited by the Jamaican tourist board to promote the island in the USA, Canada and Europe. His notoriety spread and by the early 80s he was recognised as Jamaica's le...