Tiger’s Daughter Rhiality Welcomes Financial Help For Struggling Dancehall Icon
Dancehall artist Rhiality, the daughter of Dancehall icon Tiger, is pleased with the level of public support being given to her father in the wake of an appeal for financial assistance to help defray his medical expenses.
The artist’s family had set up a Real Helping Hands account and the account has amassed over US$2,000 so far, a little more than a quarter of the US$8,000 goal.
“I appreciate everyone who has given money to help my father. Buju Banton , Ayesha Davis, plus names like honestmanPNP and Donald Henry. Plus many people have called to say they will be coming by in person to provide assistance,” Rhiality, whose real name is Rhia Jackson, said.
Fellow artist Bounty Killer also voiced his support for Tiger. “This is the real concern at hand right now another fellow artiste needs help,” the Warlord wrote on IG and posted a link to the Real Helping Hands account.
Tiger reportedly suffered a second minor stroke three weeks ago, a setback that has forced his family to seek financial aid to help defray his medical expenses.
“It was a minor stroke, thank God. It affected his left side and he is walking very slowly. But otherwise, he is keeping his spirits up,” his daughter Rhiality said.
Tiger, first recorded as a singer under the name Ranking Tiger, his first single being Why Can’t You Leave Dreadlocks Alone? in 1978.
Then in the early 1980s, he began working as a deejay with the Black Star sound system, often performing alongside fellow deejay Bruk Back and singer Anthony Malvo. Then he blew up like a Roman Candle in 1985 with several local hits including “No Wanga Gut” and “No Puppy Love”. He was signed by Mango Records who released his first album, Me Name Tiger, in 1986.
The legend of Tiger grew with his bombastic live performances, and he recorded for producers including Harry J, King Jammy, Gussie Clarke, Sly & Robbie, Philip “Fatis” Burrell and Donovan Germain. In 1989, he became one of the first dancehall artists to cross over into the US hip hop scene when he did a combination with the Fat Boys on “T’ings Nah Go So”.
Success continued in the 1990s and he was signed by Columbia Records’ short-lived Chaos imprint. His only album for the label was ‘Claws of the Cat’ in 1993. In the early 1990s, he scored big with the hit song, ‘When’.
He suffered a major life-altering accident on his bike in 1994, and there was an out-of-court settlement in 2002 but his medical expenses have decimated that award. He has performed periodically at shows over the last few years but he has not been able to return to his former glory days.