Donald ‘Tabby Diamond’ Shaw Fitzroy ‘Bunny Diamond’ Simpson
Two Mighty Diamonds
From Trenchtown, JA, Donald ‘Tabby Diamond’ Shaw and Fitzroy ‘Bunny Diamond’ Simpson made up two-thirds of The Mighty Diamonds, the vocal harmony trio who combined Philly and Chicago soft soul with roots reggae and Rasta belief. With Lloyd ‘Judge’ Ferguson, they debuted as The Dymonds in 1969. After stints with Jah Lloyd, Lee Perry and Bunny Lee, they struck gold at Channel One with Joseph Hoo Kim in 1975, with covers of The Stylistics’ Country Living, The Chi-lites’ Stoned Out Of My Mind and their own Right Time. The latter lent its title to their 1976 debut LP on Virgin – their first of 46 – which secured them a UK fanbase, enhanced when Musical Youth re-imagined 1981’s Pass The Kouchie as the pop hit Pass The Dutchie. Never splitting, they later worked with Joe Gibbs, Tapper Zukie and Gussie Clarke, and in 2021 were awarded Jamaica’s Order Of Distinction for their contribution to reggae. On March 29, Tabby Diamond was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Kingston; Bunny Diamond passed away three days later.
Lois Wilson