John Masouri

John Masouri is a journalist, reviewer, contributor and author for reggae music and several of its musical offshoots including dub, roots and dancehall. He was born in 1953 in Nottingham, England. According to The Caribbean American News, who conducted an interview with him that was published 5 March 2013, he was born to a working-class family. In 2008 he completed an in-depth, authorised biography of Bob Marley and the Wailers called Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers for Omnibus Press, which was published in March 2008. His latest book is a biography of Peter Tosh, scheduled for release in 2011. Steppin' Razor, The Life of Peter Tosh was published in 2013 by Omnibus Press. The bulk of his writing has been for Echoes, for which he has written full-length reggae features, plus single and album reviews on the genre's most newsworthy artists and producers. In addition, he has contributed to several radio and television documentaries commissioned by the BBC (The Story Of Jamaican Music, and Blood And Fire), Channel 4, and the BBC World Service. John has also written articles on reggae for Mojo, Music Week, The Guardian, The Observer and NME, as well as magazines in the US (The Beat), Japan (RM) and Germany (Riddim). Away from the media, he writes label and promotional material for record companies such as Sony, Universal, Virgin, BMG and the three leading reggae independents, VP, Jet Star, and Greensleeves. He's also compiled and written liner notes for numerous releases on Sanctuary Records, including albums by Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Freddie McGregor, and Israel Vibration.

• Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers (2008), Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1-84609-689-1
• Steppin' Razor: The Life of Peter Tosh (2013), Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1-84772-836-4