BIOGRAPHY
The Story
Pinchers is the stage name of Delroy Thompson. Published sources disagree on his precise 1965 birth date, so the Vault does not assign a day and month until stronger primary documentation resolves the conflict.
He began recording as a teenager. Early work appeared through Blue Trac, and he spent time in Britain around 1985. By 1986, Borrow No Gun, Abrakabra, Eat Man and Jailhouse Hot were helping establish him.
Pinchers emerged through sound-system culture and later recalled finding his way to Jammy’s Waterhouse studio to voice dubplates. The evidence supports a close relationship with the Jammys environment, but not yet a claim that he was a permanent resident artist of Jammy’s Super Power.
King Jammy became central to his rise. Borrow No Gun was an early success, but Agony transformed Pinchers into a major dancehall singer. The Jammys period extended well beyond one record.
At roughly the same time, Pinchers built an equally important relationship with Philip “Fatis” Burrell. Fatis’s Vena label issued Lift It Up Again, a major dance tune on the Answer riddim. Their work continued through Mass Out and later Exterminator-era recordings.
Pinchers’ melodic delivery occupied the singer/singjay side of digital dancehall during an era often remembered primarily for deejays. He could ride computerized rhythms without abandoning melody and extended vocal ornamentation.
Around 1990–91, Bandelero became the song most permanently associated with him. The western imagery surrounding the record developed into a recognizable stage persona: sombreros, ponchos, elaborate suits and Don/bandit imagery became recurring parts of his visual identity.
His 1990s work extended beyond Bandelero. He recorded for Bobby Digital, Xterminator, Penthouse, Jammys and numerous other producers, with songs including Carpenter, Cross Them Bridge and later combinations.
Pinchers also participated in dancehall’s competitive live culture. Retrospective material documents a Sting confrontation involving Pinchers, Sanchez, Courtney Melody and Conroy Smith. The Vault treats this as performance history rather than recasting him as a specialist clash deejay.
In January 2015, Pinchers was shot in the left arm during an attack in Queenborough, St Andrew, in which two other men were killed. He survived and later returned to recording and performance.
