Born Earl Anthony Robinson on December 8, 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica, General Echo, was one of the first reggae deejays to move away from folk reggae music and into the slackness subgenre. He rose to fame in Jamaica with his number one hit “Arleen” and had a popular following particularly in the United Kingdom. In 1980, he was killed by police in Kingston along with some other musicians when they were pulled over. The killings have never been satisfactorily explained by officials.