Clinton Fearon—

Troubled by controversial police shootings that rocked the United States in the last two years, Clinton Fearon had no shortage of material for This Morning, his latest album, released in late September.

The veteran singer/songwriter, who lives in Seattle, is currently promoting the set with a month-long tour of France. He spoke to Splash from Paris about This Morning, which he said is the most diverse of his 13 albums. “I love the whole album because it have different elements…dance, protest. It’s life, it’s about life,” he reasoned.

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Fearon, 65, said the death of black men at the hands of US law enforcement inspired No Justice, one of This Morning’s 13 tracks. He remembers seeing many similar incidents in his native Kingston before migrating to Seattle over 30 years ago.

“Is not only in the US [there is police brutality], but in Jamaica. This all started in Jamaica when bad man start join the force,” he claimed.

Distributed by Paris-based Chapter Two Records, This Morning is Fearon’s first album since Goodness two years ago.

A former member of The Gladiators, he consistently releases an album every two years. Like most roots reggae artists, he has a strong fan base in Europe.

After 18 dates in France, Fearon is scheduled to perform in Spain, Sweden and Belgium. He then returns to the US for dates on the West Coast and Pacific Northwest.

Clinton Fearon
Clinton Fearon

While he made a name as guitarist with The Gladiators for over 20 years, then as a solo artist, Fearon stressed the importance of being current.

“Yuh have to make new music if you are going to cross barriers. The business has changed, but people will always listen if is good music,” he said.

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