Stafford Elliot, known professionally as Fred Locks, was born in 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica. He began his musical journey in the 1960s as part of vocal harmony groups such as The Flames and The Lyrics, recording tracks like "A Get It" and "Girls Like Dirt". His breakthrough came with the single "Black Star Liners", released in 1975, which propelled him to cult status. This was followed by his debut album Black Star Liner/True Rastaman in 1976. In the late 1970s, Locks was a member of the vocal trio Creation Steppers, releasing records and having hits like "Stormy Night". He moved to the United States in 1982 after marrying an American woman. Locks returned to recording in the mid-1990s with albums such as Never Give Up (1998) and Missing Link (2000).
