Born in 1957, Roman Stewart was the younger brother of
Tinga Stewart. Singing on the streets for money as a kid already, he made his first recording in 1968, being only 11 years old. His first breakthrough came 1974 with the hit Hooray Festival, followed by Hit Song in 1976. Roman recorded for some of the biggest Jamaican producers, like
Phil Pratt, Everton Da Silva and Linval Thompson, for whom he recorded his famous Rice And Peas in 1979.
Roman Stewart emigrated to New York in 1976, where he stayed for the rest of his life, recording some tunes occasionally, until he passed away in January 2004 after a heart attack.