Daley grew up in Waltham Park Road, Kingston,[2] and, influenced by American soul and Jamaican artists such as Dennis Brown, began his singing career by entering local talent shows.
[2] Daley decided to drop out of school to pursue his music career, which prompted his mother to throw him out of the family home.
[2] Needing to make some money, the group tried out for producer Duke Reid but left before finishing their recording due to his habit of firing live gunshots in the studio.
He recorded "Malcolm X" for producer Joe Gibbs in 1975—a track written by his school friend Winston McAnuff, and which was later successfully covered by Dennis Brown.
[2][4] One of his tracks from this era was a cover version of "Holding Back the Years", which had been a big hit for Simply Red.