Rocksteady legend, Dennis Walks (2023)

‪@LeoOReggio‬

Filmed at the Reggae Month Bob Marley tribute held at the Emancipation Park, Kingston, Jamaica on February 6, 2023.

Dennis sings his two rocksteady classics, "Heart Dont Leap" and Drifter", songs my peers and I grew up dancing to as teenagers, and he was sounding just as good as in the 70s. He is the father of incarcerated dancehall DJ, Zebra.

Dennis Vassell, better known as Dennis Walks, is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known for his work with Harry Mudie in the late 1960s and 1970s. His stage name was given to him by Roy Shirley.
Walks was first recorded in 1963 for Duke Reid at Treasure Isle. In the late 1960s, he recorded for producer Joe Gibbs ("Having a Party"), but is best known for his recordings with producer Harry Mudie; "The Drifter" and "Heart Don't Leap" were both big hit singles in Jamaica. In 1974 he had another hit with "Margaret", backed by the Mudie's All Stars, which formed the basis of Lennie Hibbert's "Margaret's Dream". In 1975 he had a hit on the UK reggae charts with "Sad Sweet Dreamer" and a reissue of "Margaret". Walks' debut album Meet Dennis Walks, collecting several of his earlier hits, was released on the Moodisc label in 1976. The "Drifter" rhythm has been recorded by several artists over the years, including versions of "The Drifter" by Dennis Brown and Cornell Campbell, a deejay version by I Roy, and Reggae Bible (Book of Drifters), an entire album based on the track.

Walks also worked with Bunny Lee, and Prince Jazzbo in the late 1960s and 1970s and continued to release singles into the 1990s. He had further hits in the early 1980s with "The Lover", "Roast Fish and Cornbread" (with Billy Boyo), and "Shut Up Your Face" (with Lee Van Cliff).

In 2004 he released the Gwanee Gwanee album, recorded with Mafia & Fluxy. He has performed in the 21st century in "oldies" shows such as Stars R Us and Vintage Showcase.