b. Derrick Trought, 1956, London, England. Sharp has the distinction of recording the first ever release for the newly formed Fashion Records, a version of Leo Hall's entry for the 1975 Jamaican Song Festival, "Let's Dub It Up", with the Investigators. The song topped the reggae chart in the summer of 1980 and led to the equally popular release of "Follow Your Heart", which also featured a version of the Melodians' classic "Swing And Dine". In September 1981 Sharp's career took a change in direction when he joined the Britfunk group Buzzz as the lead vocalist. The line-up featured David Barra (bass guitar), Jenny Evans (vocals), Tesley Francis (keyboards), Dorothy Patterson (vocals) and Tony Scantlebury (drums). The group were experienced reggae musicians, having emerged from Rico's backing band, while Scantlebury had previously been employed as Eddy Grant's drummer. The group signed with RCA Records, who released their debut, "Sorry My Dear". The group followed their debut release with a version of Ray Charles's "Hit The Road Jack", inspired by Big Youth's cover version of the song. The group's third release, "Obsession", led to an appearance on the BBC Television programme Ebony, although only Sharp, Evans and Patterson performed the song. Following the demise of the band, Sharp released a series of solo outings, including "Magician" and "Take Your Time", as well as an EP featuring "Straighten Up And Fly Right", "That Much I Know" and "Night And Day". In the summer of 1983 Fashion released "Rising To The Top" and "Give It All You've Got", which re-established Sharp's position as the UK's premier lovers rock singer. His experience in the industry resulted in him becoming a versatile performer, and he is often recruited for a diversity of recording sessions. In 1985, among his many projects, Sharp provided a raunchy rap for Nick Heyward's "Warning Sign".