The Ultimate Guide to Great Reggae - The complete story of Reggae told through its greatest songs, famous and forgotten - Michael Garnice
Gregory Isaacs
The Ultimate Guide to Great Reggae - The complete story of Reggae told through its greatest songs, famous and forgotten - Michael Garnice
Michael Garnice [+]
Freelance writer
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Description
He recorded for a short time under the outrageous pseudonym William Shakespeare, and is sometimes called “Jah Toot’ ”, in recognition of a broken tooth received in an encounter with a policeman. But the adored reggae superstar Gregory Isaacs is known to his legion of fans by the accolade The Cool Ruler, or simply by his first name, without there being any doubt of the Gregory in question. Born in 1950 in Kingston, Gregory Anthony Isaacs lived a hardscrabble life that was brightened by a love of music. He began singing in his teens and by the end of the 1960s, boosted by an appearance on the popular Vere Johns Opportunity Hour radio show, he endeavored to go pro. Brought into recording by bandleader Byron Lee, he recorded short stints as half of a duo and then as a member of a trio. But success eluded him. Rather than trying a quartet next, he wisely went solo. A handful of singles recorded in 1970 for several producers included his first hit, ‘All I Have Is Love’, for Rupie Edwards. There was no turning back. He became one of the greatest solo stars ever in reggae, his popularity in Jamaica only surpassed by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley