When reggae is mentioned, people think of upbeat rhythms of bass and percussions, dreadlocks and Jamaica. Historically, reggae was a term coined in the 60’s to describe the ragged style of Jamaican music. The term first appeared in the rocksteady hit of The Maytals “Do the Reggay”. There are many reggae artists all throughout the genre’s history, some of them are listed below.
Bob Marley
He was born Robert Nesta Marley. He is the most popular reggae singer-songwriter known internationally for his music. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945 to his parents Norval Sinclair Marley and Cedella Booker. During the early 1960’s, Marley was a member of The Wailers band which gained their first Jamaican number 1 single called “Simmer Down”. Then in 1974, his hit “No Woman No Cry” was released. Bob Marley was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, but continued touring with his band. On May 11, 1981 at the age of 36, Marley succumbed to cancer. He left a legacy which is still recognized to this day.
Gregory Isaacs
He was born Gregory Anthony Isaacs on July 15, 1951. Described as “the most exquisite vocalist in reggae”, Isaacs was nicknamed the Cool Ruler. He made his recording debut in 1968 with Winston Sinclair with the song “Another Heartache”. Isaacs launched his solo career, and in 1973 had his first hit “My Only Lover”. On October 25, 2010, Isaacs died after a long battle with lung cancer at his home in London. In July 15, 2011 a foundation was set up by his wife June, called The Gregory Isaacs Foundation as a continuation of his charitable works.
Dennis Brown
He was born Dennis Emmanuel Brown on February 1, 1957. He was dubbed as “The Crown Prince of Reggae” by Bob Marley, citing Brown as his favorite singer. During the prime of his career, Brown recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the great artists of lovers rock. The music of Dennis Brown proved influential on the future of reggae music. In the 1990’s, Brown developed respiratory disease accompanied by his crack cocaine addiction. One June of 1999, Brown was rushed to the hospital for cardiac arrest, and a day after, he passed away due to a collapsed lung.
Alton Ellis
He was given the informal title as the "Godfather of Rocksteady". Alton Nehemiah Ellis was born on September 1, 1938. He was one of the innovators of rocksteady, wherein 2006, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the International Reggae and World Music Awards. He started his career in the duo Alton & Eddy. Ellis died on October 10, 2008 due to cancer. A track by Alton Ellis called “Mad Mad” has been sampled and reused by many reggae and hip hop artists through many years, leaving Ellis’ legacy a major influence in reggae, hip hop and dance hall music.
Can you also cite other great reggae music singers not in the list?