Winston Holness, better known as Niney the Observer OD (born George Boswell, 1944 in Montego Bay, Jamaica),[1] is a Jamaican record producer and conscious roots reggae singer who is a key figure in the creation of many classic reggae recordings, discomixes and sound system dubplates dating from the 1970s and early 1980s.
In the early 1970s, Holness became one of Jamaica's most sought after producers, with Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones, Johnny Clarke, Slim Smith, Jacob Miller, Junior Delgado, and Freddie McGregor all using his services.
He re-emerged in 1982 with the Ital Dub Observer Style album and returned to Kingston in 1983, taking on the role of house producer for the Hitbound label at Channel One Studios.
In the mid-1980s, he relocated to New York City, returning to Kingston again in 1988, and working with Yami Bolo, Frankie Paul, Andrew Tosh, and Junior Byles.
In the mid-1990s, noted collector Steve Barrow and Simply Red vocalist Mick Hucknall started a reggae and dub reissue programme, naming the company Blood and Fire (record label) in honour of Niney's hit record, and, in 2001, they reissued Observer rarities on an album entitled Niney the Observer – Microphone Attack 1974–1977, collecting rare Discomixes of the work of Ranking Trevor, Big Youth, I-Roy and Leroy Smart, thus introducing Niney's productions to a new generation of listeners.