Sydney Crooks, born on February 24, 1945 in Westmoreland in western Jamaica, where he studied primary school and then at 16 moved to Kingston. There he worked as a clerk in a construction tools store. He began singing in youth clubs in the same city. It was then that he decided to form the vocal trio The Pioneers. The founding members of the group were Winston Hewitt, and Luddy Pioneers (Sydney Crooks), and his brother Derrick Crooks. He then recorded his first record with the group in 1966 with the song "I ll never come running back to you no more" released by the Caltone label; the song was not a hit, but was successful enough to get the group noticed by Jamaica's major labels.
At the end of 1967, the group split up leaving him alone. He had to rebuild the group again. It was then that he met the legendary Joe Gibbs, producer and executive, who asked him to record "Give me a litlle loving"; while recording the song he needed a backing vocal and as they usually do in Jamaica they took a walk around the studio door and found current trio member Jackie Robinson sitting on a rock, and was invited by Norris Cole to help on the song, and did so successfully, and was immediately invited to join the group. And then the trio was back, and they had a series of hits in Jamaica such as Long shot bus me bit, Catch the Jackpot on the Amalgamated label and today the Joe Gibbs Reggae Music and Pedra Reggae Music labels. But he did not stop there, working with the group he went to work with Leslie Kong (producer of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff) and then success became reality. The first record he made under this new label became the first number one hit in Jamaica, and at the end of the same year topped the most played list in England reaching 3rd place on the charts. In November 1969, a group of executives from one of England's largest labels, Creole Records, saw the group performing in Jamaica with one of the greatest American Blues singers, Joe Simon; Norris Cole and his group performed so well that they were invited to tour England. Meanwhile the song Long Shot Kicked the Bucket was progressing among the others in England.
In November 1969, they were immediately invited to perform on Europe's two most popular TV programs TOP OF THE POPS, performing very well. And then they began the long tour; his dream came true when they took the stage together with John Lenon, Yoko Ono and his band at the English Lyceum in London!"". As a boy from the Jamaican slums, Norris Cole is proud to have shaken hands with one of the greatest musicians, producers and singers of all time. Greater success came when they made a version of Jimmy Cliff's song Let your Yeah be Yeah, which reached fifth place on the British charts and first place throughout Europe. They were then invited to perform on Germany's most popular TV program "HITS A GO GO".
While in Germany they received a call from their label at the time, Trojan Records, saying they had been invited to tour Japan. And then they were sent to Japan, being the first reggae group to perform in that country. After their successful tour of Japan, they were sent to the Middle East. Norris Cole, Frank Diamond, Sydney Crooks, Luddy Pioneer, as they liked to call him, a person always busy in the musical field writing or producing many artists such as Gregory Isaacs, Márcia Griffts (of The Wailers group), Carlene Davis, Owen Gray, Eric Donaldson, Winston Groove, Johny Orlando, Dennis Brown, Donna Marie The Pioneers Jackie Brown George Dekker Tyrone Taylor, Brent Dowe, Fredy Mckay, Dennis Alcapone, Delroy Wilson, Justin Hinds, Alton Ellis. Lloyd Parks, Eclips Band, George Faith, many others.