Originally a school teacher in his hometown, Laing assumed the "Stitchie" moniker when he joined forces with King Jammy in 1986 for "Wear Your Size." He followed it up a year later with his solo full-length debut, Ambition, before signing a U.S. deal with Atlantic in the early '90s (resulting in such major-label releases as 1990's Wild Jamaican Romances and 1993's Rude Boy). Stitchie was then hired to do some vocals for other artists, including Bobby Digital, Barry O'Hare, and John John, before he found religion and began issuing gospel-reggae albums, including such titles as 2000's Real Power. The album proved to be the most successful of his career, making an impression on the U.S. gospel/urban charts and hitting number three on the albums chart in Colombia. ~ Greg Prato