Yogie

b. Courtney John Morrison, 8 September 1970, Annotto Bay, Jamaica, West Indies. Morrison adopted his stage name from his grandmother who nicknamed him Yogi Bear, a reference to his T-shirt that he wore as a child which featured the famous cartoon character. He came from a musical family; his uncles included Winston and Beres Hammond, although he cites Bob Marley and Alton Ellis as his influences. Yogie was educated in both Jamaica and Canada, earning a degree in business studies from Toronto’s Humber College. On his return to Jamaica he pursued his initial aspirations and embarked on a musical career. Regarded primarily as a vocalist Yogie is additionally an accomplished songwriter penning ‘Can’t Stop A Man From Crying’, for his uncle Beres. Other notable artists to have benefited from his songwriting include Marcia Griffiths and Joseph Hill. Yogie’s recording debut, ‘For Granted’, was released in 1993 and produced by Clive Hunt. He followed this with a series of hits working with a number of top producers in Jamaica including, Donovan Germain, Buju Banton, Colin ‘Bulby’ York, Richard ‘Bello’ Bell and Beres Hammond’s Harmony House production team. Notable releases include, ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Brighter Days’, ‘I Go Crazy’ as well as the combinations with Anthony B. (‘That Was Then’) and Determine (‘No One Cares’). With producer Barry O’Hare the singer emulated his uncle with the favoured ‘More Than Words’, an acoustic tune reminiscent of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’. In 1999, Yogie’s songwriting career was further elevated when he was commissioned to write for Lauryn Hill, set up his own label and released his debut album. He maintained the family bond when he released Len Hammond’s ‘Just The Other Night’ on his own label. In 2001, Yogie produced Nelly Furtado’s ‘Turn Of The Lights’.