Buju Banton

In March of 2003 he released Friends for Life, which featured more sharply political songs. After briefly attempting to continue, Blind Melon soon broke up and the various members went on to other projects. Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton's international audience. With some unreleased vocals in the vaults, the remaining members released Nico in 1996 (see 1996 in music) with the profits going to a program that helps musicians with drug and alcohol addiction. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. Hoon was found dead of an overdose on October 21, 1995. It also included a single called "Murderer" which condemned the violence in Jamaican dancehall music, inspired by the murders of dancehall musicians Panhead and Dirtsman. Against the advice of Hoon's drug counselor, Blind Melon went on tour.

Till Shiloh (1995) was an influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marked a shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. In 1995, Blind Melon also contributed the song "Out on the Tiles" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin. He began supporting AIDS education and released a song called "Willy (Don't Be Silly)" (1993; The Voice of Jamaica), promoting the use of condoms. While Hoon checked into rehab, the album, Soup, was released in 1995 (see 1995 in music), but sold poorly. Since this time, Banton has become more socially conscious, leaving behind his old style of singing songs of violence and promiscuity. Hoon would later admit that he had no memory of the recording session. Banton, who had just signed to Mercury Records, was forced by his label to issue a statement; he refused to apologize and cited his religion (Rastafarianism) as the basis for his beliefs. Hoon and the rest of the band began recording their sophomore album in New Orleans with producer Andy Wallace.

He is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having hit the charts there suddenly in 1992, with "Bogle" and "Love Me Browning/Love Black Woman", both massive hits in Jamaica and less so abroad. Soon afterwards, Banton released "Boom Boom Bye Bye", a controversial song that advocated violence and murder towards Jamaican homosexuals (called "batty boys"). After opening for Neil Young and Lenny Kravitz, Blind Melon's own tour was cut short due to Hoon's escalating drug abuse. "Banton" is a Jamaican word referring to someone with a superior attitude, but was also the name of a local artist (Burro Banton) that Buju watched as a child. Subsequently, Blind Melon went platinum four times. "Buju" is a common nickname for chubby children; it means "breadfruit". Their debut album, Blind Melon, produced by Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam) sold poorly until the single and music video for "No Rain" hit the airwaves and became a smash success, along with the popular video which featured the equally popular Bee Girl. He was born in a slum near Kingston called Salt Lane. Hoon and old friend Axl Rose re-met, and Hoon sang back-up on several Guns n' Roses tracks, including "Don't Cry".

Buju Banton (born Mark Myrie 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall and ragga singer. Blind Melon signed to Capitol Records in 1991 (see 1991 in music) and recorded an unreleased demo. Also 'Blind Melon Chitlin' was the name of a fictional bluesman appearing in a routine on the self titled Cheech and Chong LP. The name Blind Melon describes some hippies from Mississippi, as used (or coined) by Brad Smith's father. Blind Melon was an American rock and roll band from the 1990s, composed of Shannon Hoon, Brad Smith, Glen Graham, Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn.

Glen Graham - drums. Brad Smith - bass. Rogers Stevens - guitar. Christopher Thorn - guitar.

Shannon Hoon - vocals.