Third World

53 Years of Reggae Excellence

Third World is one of the longest-lived reggae bands of all time, and one of Jamaica’s most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences. Mixing elements of R&B, funk, pop, and rock and, later on, dancehall and rap, Third World’s style has been described as “reggae-fusion.” Singer Bunny Rugs described the band’s sound: “Strictly a reggae band, no . Definitely a reggae band, yes.”

Guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore, OD said of their music: “The hybrid of various types of music is a natural thing because, by growing up in Jamaica, we know the direct roots of reggae and ska. At the same time, we live in a country where you get to hear Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and all the R&B artists.” Bassist Richard Daley said, “We took roots reggae music and put branches on top of it.”

Third World in 2026 brings together an exceptional collection of musicians:
- Richard Daley — foundation member and honorary bassist, part of the band’s DNA since 1973
- Tony “Ruption” Williams — drums & djembe, the heartbeat of Third World for the past 29 years
- Norris “Noriega” Webb and Maurice Gregory — keyboardists and vocalists
- AJ Brown — lead vocals
- Richie Barr — bass
- Richard “Wiggz” Walters — guitar, honoring the legacy of Stephen “Cat” Coore

Together they bring decades of combined excellence to every performance. Third World’s career has earned 9 Grammy nominations, a 1986 United Nations Peace Medal, the Keys to multiple American cities, and the Jamaican Music Icon Award presented on Jamaican Independence Day 2025 by Prime Minister Andrew Holness before more than 35,000 people at the Grand Gala.

Rolling Stone named founding guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore #92 on their list of the 200 Greatest Guitarists of all time. Third World are also Goodwill Ambassadors for the Issa Trust Foundation, supporting pediatric care in rural Jamaica, and Oceans Ambassadors for the Alligator Head Foundation’s Clean Ocean initiatives in Portland, Jamaica.

A legacy five decades in the making: Third World was founded in Kingston in 1973 by Stephen “Cat” Coore, Michael “Ibo” Cooper, and Richard Daley, growing out of Jamaica’s club and hotel scene as one of the few fully self-contained bands on the island. Percussionist Irvin “Carrot” Jarrett joined in 1974. In 1975 the band traveled to England with no confirmed bookings and landed a deal with Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, then went out as the opening act for Bob Marley & the Wailers’ 1975 World Tour. Their self-titled debut followed in 1976.

96° in the Shade (1977) introduced lead singer William “Bunny Rugs” Clarke and William Stewart on drums, becoming a massive critical hit in the UK and Europe. The commercial breakthrough arrived with Journey to Addis (1978) and a funky reggae cover of the O’Jays’ “Now That We’ve Found Love,” which cracked the American R&B Top Ten and the British pop Top Ten. “Cool Meditation” followed into the UK Top 20.

Hits continued: “Dancing on the Floor (Hooked on Love)” went UK Top 10 in 1981; that same year Stevie Wonder joined them onstage at Reggae Sunsplash and later wrote and produced two tracks for You’ve Got the Power (1982), including the near-R&B Top 20 “Try Jah Love.” Through the ’80s, the Grammy-nominated Hold On to Love (1987), produced with Gamble and Huff, deepened their legacy.

Their 1989 Mercury debut Serious Business introduced multi-instrumentalist Rupert “Gypsy” Bent III and produced “Forbidden Love,” one of the first commercially successful fusions of reggae and rap, reaching the R&B Top 20. Further Grammy nominations followed with Generation Coming (1999), Ain’t Givin’ Up (2003), Black, Gold & Green (2005), Patriots (2011), and the Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley–produced More Work to Be Done (2019), featuring Tessanne Chin, Chronixx, Tarrus Riley, Busy Signal, and Damian Marley.

After 53 years, through every evolution and every era, Third World remains exactly what it has always been: one of Jamaica’s greatest gifts to the world.