Tony Tuff, ‘Girl I’ve Got To Get You’ Singer, Dead At 69

Reggae and Dancehall singer Tony Tuff, perhaps best known for the song Girl I’ve Got To Get You, died on Saturday (April 20). He was 69.

His passing was confirmed in a brief statement posted to his official Facebook page on Saturday afternoon. “It is with sadness and deep regret that we announce the passing of Reggae Legend Tony Tuff. Tony, whose real name is Winston Morris, made a name for himself in Dancehall during its early stages,” the statement read in part.

A cause of death was not provided, but in a separate statement, his daughter, Keina Sykes, paid tribute to her father, saying: “His legacy in music will always be remembered, and his presence will be deeply missed. Your thoughts, prayers, and support during this difficult time would mean a lot to me and our family. Please keep us in your thoughts as we navigate through this period of grief and loss. Thank you for your understanding and love.”

Tuff, whose real name was Winston Anthony Morris, started his music career in 1969 as a member of The African Brothers alongside Lincoln “Sugar” Minott and Derrick “Bubbles” Howard. When the African Brothers split up in the mid-1970s, Howard went on to produce while both Minott and Tuff pursued solo careers.

Tony Tuff

Tony Tuff’s first solo outing was 1978’s Tony Tuff Meets Errol Schorder, a split release with Errol Scorcher, whose name was misspelled in the album title.

The following decade saw Tuff collaborate with influential reggae producers such as Yabby You, who produced the self-titled Tony Tuff album in 1980, and Henry “Junjo” Lawes, who produced Come Fe Mash It (1983), and the songs, Mix Me Down and Water Pumpee.

Though his musical output slowed in the 1990s, Tuff scored his biggest hit in 1990 with the song Girl I’ve Got To Get You. Recorded on producer Donovan Germain’s update of the Studio One riddim A Love I Can Feel, the song, also known as The First Time I Met You and Got To Get You, became a Reggae mainstay alongside other tracks on the riddim like Beres Hammond’s Tempted To Touch, Cutty Ranks and Beres Hammond’s Love Me Haffi Get, and Tony Rebel’s Fresh Vegetable. 

The new millennium ushered in a handful of new solo releases for Tuff, including Hit and Run (2001) and How Long (2006), alongside its dub companion piece How Long Dub (2009), remixed by Jah Shakka.

This period also saw a brief reunion with his former African Brothers bandmate Sugar Minott for the 2004 album Mysterious Nature.

Minott passed away in July 2010.

Tony Tuff

Tony Tuff’s other popular songs include Love Light Shining, Deliver Me, Sticky Wicket, and Next Door Neighbour.