Onyx Brown Drops Lead Single, Blue Moon, From New Reggae Album, ‘Onyx Brown: Many Moods’

Onyx stones are one of the most durable materials on earth, and are often used to make exceptionally durable jewelry pieces for everyday wear.

In many ways, reggae singer Onyx Brown embodies the tough qualities of his stage name. A resilient, mentally tough individual, he grew up in St. Thomas and overcame many personal obstacles to become a success. For decades, Onyx has been a dogged, persistent producer and artiste, carving out a name in the ultra competitive world of music with his studio called Name Brand Recording Studio in Westmoreland.

A determined musician who overcame numerous obstacles, he taught himself to play four instruments, and has earned a reputation for his high quality productions in international music circles.

He recently released a new single, ‘Blue Moon’, the first single from his upcoming album, ‘Onyx Brown: Many Moods’ which will be released via digital streaming platforms through the US indie label, Music Farm International.

According to Brown, the response has been encouraging so far.

“Blue Moon is receiving a lot of positive vibes and anticipation, our fans are very excited about it. The inspiration for Blue Moon was an actual blue moon, and that inspired us to write this song,” the artist, whose real name is Garth Brown, said.

Gorgeous visuals have also been released simultaneously with the ‘Blue Moon’ single to amp up promotion in the Caribbean and international diaspora markets.

Onyx Brown earned his unusual stage name the only way he knows how: the hard way.

“Onyx Brown is my stage name, onyx is my birthstone, my life is a testament to toughness. The name was chosen by Shellon, who is my manager and the chief executive officer of Music Farm International,” he said.

He grew up in the community of White Hall, St Thomas where he attended Morant Bay High. He hails from a strong Christian background, where he sometimes attended church three times in a week. During his teens, he developed his natural musical skills, mastering several instruments.

“At church, I was also a musician playing the guitar, the bass, sometimes drums as time progressed, I also practiced keyboard, and over the years, I have advanced to become a studio engineer,” he said.

A natural songwriter and music producer, he released his first song, ‘Troubled Waters’ in 20o1 but the song was not well promoted. He continued to hone his craft over the years, releasing three albums over this span.

During that period, he scored popular songs in the South Florida area with juicy cuts like Crazy Love, Loving You and Ghetto Cry.

Onyx Brown has a broad musical palette as he experiments with multiple genres including reggae, lover’s rock, R & B and world music.

“I am a multi-talented artiste, who plays live instruments in my music, like acoustic guitar, drums, keyboard and bass, plus I am a studio engineer. My music is basically for every one, because I experiment with different genres,” he said.

Onyx Brown has been the recipient of several awards in the pop variety competitions in Jamaica. Over the years, he has performed at various venues in Jamaica and internationally, alongside top notch reggae and dancehall artistes such as Glen Washington, Everton Blender, Isha Blender, Luciano, Richie Spice, Mikey Spice, Admiral Tibet, Brigadier Jerry, Marcia Griffiths, Teflon and many more.

He has had standout performances on shows such as Reggae on the River California, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a special performance for the marriage of 20 couples during a live TV show in China for 50 million viewers at the Mattel Center in California.

Other performances came at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica, Lucie on the Harbor Kite Festival, Drums for Peace, and others.

He has worked with an impressive array of artistes such as Singing Honour, Taurus Riley, Charlie Chaplin, Leroy Smart, Super Blacks, Jah Mason, Eddie Fitzroy, Glen Washington, Jackie Whyte, Everton Blender, Isha Blender and more.

There are a number of standout Onyx Brown combination songs including ‘Crazy Love’ featuring Isha Blender, ‘Sign of the Time’ featuring reggae star Glen Washington, and ‘Whenever You Want Me’ featuring dancehall legend Brigadier Jerry.

He has previously distributed several albums with VP Records.

There are plans to tour to support his ‘Onyx Brown: Many Moods’ album on the vibrant reggae scene in California, as well as upcoming gigs in the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.