1) Dennis Anthony Thomas (born 26 March 1962, Kingston, Jamaica) is better known by his stage name King Kong, a prominent deejay/singer who rose to fame in the vibrant dancehall era of the 1980s. He first recorded at Tuff Gong studios in 1982 under the alias Junior Kong, releasing his debut single “Pink Eye” before catching the attention of legendary producer King Tubby.
King Kong’s early work for Tubby’s Firehouse label incorporated digital rhythms, yielding regional hits like “AIDS” and “Babylon”, which helped solidify his reputation. His debut album, Two Big Bull Inna One Pen, was issued jointly with Anthony Red Rose in 1986. That same year, King Kong teamed up with Prince Jammy to deliver his biggest chart successes: “Trouble Again” and “Legal We Legal”. Other notable collaborations in the late ’80s included productions with Black Scorpio, Harry J, Bunny Lee, and Prince Jazzbo.
Following the death of peer Tenor Saw in 1988, King Kong recorded the tribute “He Was a Friend”. He then relocated to New York, Canada, and ultimately London, working with Mafia & Fluxy, Gussie P, and the Massive B label. Through the 2000s and beyond, he continued recording—releasing albums like Ethiopian Dream (2012) and Repatriation (2018), and collaborating with labels such as Conscious Music and Irie Ites.
With roots in Kingston’s sound-system culture and a career spanning over four decades, King Kong remains a respected figure in reggae and dancehall, known for his distinctive delivery, socially themed lyrics, and ability to evolve across eras.
2) A Kentucky alternative rock band King Kong. From Louisville, Kentucky, formed in early 1989 by Ethan Buckler, the original bassist in the band Slint. The core trio for many years was made up of Buckler, Willie McClean (bass), and Ray Rizzo (drums). Over the course of its existence King Kong has been joined by Todd Hildreth (keys), Suki Anderson (add’l vocals), Amy Greenwood (add’l vocals), Andy Hurt (percussion), and Dave Pajo (drums). There are many others too numerous to list.
After a four-year hiatus King Kong returned with “The Big Bang”, another in a long line of concept albums. This one was concerned with space travel although an underlying theme of sexual intercourse could be deduced.
Drag City released “Buncha Beans” in March 2007
3) There is at least one from the German alternative rock band King Køng (starring Jan Vetter, better known as Farin Urlaub).
4) King Kong is an Australian hardcore band.
Discogs has four other artists with this name, they seem to do reggae and soul. . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
