Shaggy

October 22, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Orville Richard Burrell, better known as Shaggy, was born October 22, 1968. He is a Jamaican-American reggae musician, singer, D.J., and actor. He has several well-known hits, such as ‘Angel’ and ‘It Wasn’t Me.’ If you think his stage name sounds familiar, it may be because it is also the name of the main character from the popular children’s show “Scooby-Doo.” He is a philanthropist and runs an organization called “Shaggy and Friends,” which has donated more than $1 million and hospital equipment and machinery to the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Jamaica. Let’s find out more about Mr. Bombastic himself!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Orville Richard Burrell

Nickname:

Shaggy

Birth date:

October 22, 1968

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 1.2"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$14 million

Background

Shaggy was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and a few years later, his family migrated to the U.S. He served as a U.S. Marine in the first Gulf War. Rumor has it that it was there that he spent his downtime writing music and perfecting his craft, resulting in the creation of his U.S. breakthrough single ‘Boombastic.’ After his stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, Shaggy decided to pursue his music career, and in 1993, his first single, ‘Oh Carolina,’ was released. This was a successful dancehall re-make of a ska hit by the Folkes Brothers. It was also in 1993 that he appeared on Kenny Dope’s hip hop album, “The Unreleased Project.”

In the years that followed, his only biggest release was ‘Boombastic.’ The subsequent lull in his career led his record label, Virgin, to drop him. He then signed with DreamWorks and released the album “Hot Shot.” The album produced two smashing hit singles, ‘It Wasn’t Me’ and ‘Angel.’ His career lull ended, as the two singles topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in the U.K., Ireland, Scotland, and France, among others. The album went on to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified eight times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. His following two albums, “Lucky Day” and “Clothes Drop,” did not perform as well as “Hot Shot,” but his popularity did not wane and he began to do more live performances. Shaggy also went on to do a lot of collaborative work. In 2020, Shaggy and the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of his 2000 album “Hot Shot” by releasing an updated version of the album, called “Hot Shot 2020.” It includes a remix of ‘It Wasn’t Me,’ featuring Rayvon.

Throughout his interesting and fun-filled career, Shaggy has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards. He has won two for Best Reggae Album, with ‘Boombastic’ in 1996 and ‘44/876’ in 2019. He also won the Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist in 2002. Included in Shaggy’s long list of achievements is an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts, from Brown University, in May 2022.

Career timeline

1993

Shaggy Begins His Music Career

Shaggy bursts onto the music scene with this first hit ‘Oh Carolina.’

1995

The Chart-Topping Single

‘Bombastic’ hits the charts and gathers a lot of airtime and popularity.

1996

The Best Reggae Album Award

Shaggy wins Best Reggae Album with ‘Bombastic.’

2000

The Chart-Topping Singles

Shaggy releases “Hot Shot,” which features the chart-topping singles ‘It Wasn't Me’ and ‘Angel.’

2007

The I.C.C. Cricket World Cup

Shaggy performs the official song of the I.C.C. Cricket World Cup 2007.

August 2019

The One Love Festival

Shaggy headlines the One Love Festival in Queensland, with his friend Sean Paul.

Why We Love Shaggy

He has had a long and consistent career
Shaggy has only had a couple of major hits. But he has consistently been on the music scene, either touring or collaborating with other artists.
He is open to all musical genres
Shaggy is a reggae and dancehall artist. But he has collaborated and worked alongside other artists from different genres, such as Sting and Kylie Monogue.
He gives back to his community
Shaggy has used his influence to raise funds for a hospital in his native country of Jamaica. Through his foundation, he provides funds and hospital equipment to children’s hospitals.

5 Surprising Facts

He was a Lance Corporal
As a Marine, Shaggy reached the rank of Lance Corporal but was demoted twice due to tardiness.
He made New York home
Shaggy moved to Brooklyn, New York, when he was 18 years old, to pursue his career in music.
His music is blended
His music is a mix of dancehall and reggae and Shaggy describes this blend as ‘dog-a-muffin.’
He had other career goals
Until he saw reggae star King Yellowman perform, Shaggy wanted to be a fireman.
He has ties to the Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys opened for him on the European leg of his tour and he returned the favor by opening for them on their Black & Blue tour.