Barry Biggs
Barry Biggs (born 1946 St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known in the UK for his cover of the Blue Magic song, "Sideshow", which got to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977.
Barry Biggs
- Name
- Barry Biggs
- Born
- 1946
- Birthplace
- St.
- Occupation
- Singer
- Nationality
- Jamaica
- Fields
- reggae
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Documentary summary
Barry Biggs (born 1946 St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer, best known in the UK for his cover of the Blue Magic song, "Sideshow", which got to number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1977.
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Note VALÉORINE
Barry Biggs (born 1947) is a musician and singer and a national of Jamaica. The musician was born in Saint Andrew Parish. Genres include reggae.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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wikidata · Q4864012 · wikipedia · Barry Biggs
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Barry Biggs • Born — 1946 • Birthplace — St. Andrew, Jamaica • Instrument — Vocals • Genre — Reggae • Occupation — Singer • Years Active — 1960s–present
Career
Career
Biggs worked as a recording engineer and cameraman with the Jamaican Broadcasting Company, and also spent time as a member of the band the Astronauts, before becoming the lead singer for Byron Lee's Dragonaires. It was at Lee's Dynamic Sounds studio (where he also worked as a producer and engineer) that Biggs recorded his first Jamaican hit, a cover of the Osmonds' "One Bad Apple". He broke through to international success in 1976 with "Work All Day", which had been recorded seven years earlier. Biggs had six hit singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1976 and 1981, the most successful of these, "Sideshow", reaching number 3 in January 1977. He recorded two songs with Bunny Lee; "Sincerely" and "You're Welcome" which did well in the reggae charts. He topped the reggae chart in the UK with "Wide Awake in a Dream" and "A Promise Is a Comfort to a Fool". Many of Biggs' recordings were reggae cover versions of popular soul hits, including songs such as Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour"; "Sideshow" and "Three Ring Circus" by Blue Magic; and others originally by the Chi-Lites, the Moonglows ("Sincerely"), and the Temptations ("Just My Imagination"). His version of "Love Come Down", originally recorded by Evelyn "Champagne" King, was a top 10 hit in 1983 in the Netherlands. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Biggs avoided the political and Rasta themes then popular in Jamaica. Biggs continued to perform occasionally in the 2000s, notably at a 2008 service of thanksgiving for his former bandleader, Byron Lee.
Studio albums
Studio albums
• Mr. Biggs – (1976) – Dynamic Sounds (also issued in 1977 as Side Show) • Sincerely – (1977) – Dynamic Sounds • Wide Awake in a Dream – (1980) – Starlight • A Promise Is A Comfort to a Fool – (1982) • Barry Biggs & The Inner Circle – (1983) – Trojan • Coming Down With Love (1983) – Ariola • So in Love – (1989) – Starlight • Wide Awake – (1990) – Mango • Night Like This – (1994) – WEA • Love Come Down – (2000) – Wesgram Records • I've Got It Covered – (2021) – Burning Sounds
Compilation albums
Compilation albums
• Sideshow: The Best of Barry Biggs – (1995) – Jamaican Gold • Vintage Series: Barry Biggs – (2001) – VP • Just My Imagination – (2002) – Disky Records • Sideshow: The Very Best of Barry Biggs – (2002) – Music Club • Sideshow (The best of) – (2004) – Trojan • Reggae Max – (2007) – Jet Star
Singles
Singles
• Year — Title — Peak chart positions — Certifications • BEL — NLD — UK • 1971 — "One Bad Apple" — ― — ― — ― • 1972 — "How Could I Let You Get Away" — ― — ― — ― • 1973 — "I'm Stone in Love with You" — ― — ― — ― • 1975 — "Lonely Girl" — ― — ― — ― • 1976 — "You're Welcome" — ― — ― — ― • "Work All Day" — ― — ― — 38 • "Sideshow" — ― — 17 — 3 — * BPI: Silver • 1977 — "You're My Life" — ― — ― — 36 • "Three Ring Circus" — ― — ― — 22 • "Sincerely" — ― — ― — ― • 1978 — "Give Me a Call" — ― — ― — ― • "Surely" — ― — ― — ― • 1979 — "Too Much Heaven" — ― — ― — ― • "What's Your Sign Girl?" — ― — ― — 55 • 1981 — "Wide Awake in a Dream" — ― — ― — 44 • "Love on a Two-Way Street" — ― — ― — ― • "Promise Is a Comfort to a Fool" — ― — ― — ― • "You're My Life" — ― — ― — ― • 1982 — "This Is Good Life" — ― — ― — ― • "Break Your Promise" — ― — ― — ― • "Rain from the Sky" — ― — ― — ― • "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" — ― — ― — ― • 1983 — "One of the Poorest People" — ― — ― — ― • "Love Come Down" — 23 — 7 — ― • "Reflections of My Life" (with Ruddy Thomas) — ― — 34 — ― • 1986 — "All I Have to Do Is Dream" — ― — ― — ― • "Conversation" — ― — ― — ― • 1987 — "If You Wanna Make Love" — ― — ― — ― • "Since You've Been Gone" — ― — ― — ― • 1988 — "A Night Like This" — ― — ― — ― • 1994 — "Time for Love" — ― — ― — ― • 1994 — "True Love" — ― — ― — ― • "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Identity
Identity
Barry Biggs is recorded with the occupation musician. Recorded as a citizen of Jamaica. Classed in the genre reggae.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1947
Barry Biggs born at Saint Andrew Parish.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Barry Biggs”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4864012: Barry Biggs
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Roberts, David. British Hit Singles & Albums. Guinness World Records Limited. 57. 2006. 1-904994-10-5.
- 2.Leggett, Steve. Barry Biggs Biography. AllMusic.
- 3.Larkin, Colin. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. 26. 1998. 0-7535-0242-9.
- 4.Coversproject.com.
- 5.AllMusic. Barry Biggs | Album Discography.
- 6.Discografie Barry Biggs. ultratop.be.
- 7.Discografie Barry Biggs. dutchcharts.nl.
- 8.Official Charts Company. BARRY BIGGS - full Official Chart History.
- 9.Barry Biggs - Sideshow. bpi.co.uk.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Citizenship
1- JamaicaPlace
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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