Died On This Date (October 10, 2008) Alton Ellis / Godfather Of Rocksteady
themusicsover Alton Ellis
September 1, 1938 – October 10, 2008
Known as the “Godfather Of Rocksteady,” Alton Ellis was a Jamaican musician who took the elements of ska and slowed them down to a more relaxed beat. It in turn, paved the way for what we now know as reggae. A prolific singer, Ellis began his career with Eddy Perkins in the late ’50s as part of a duo, Alton & Eddy, who scored a big Jamaican hit with their “Muriel.” In the early ’60s, he formed his group, the Flames just as ska was taking hold throughout Jamaica. He slowed the beat down and recorded a hit song called “Rock Steady” which became the new genre’s name. In 1967, he recorded a song called “Mad Men” that included a three-note descending horn line which became became a constant in more than 100 reggae songs to follow. Reinterpretations of it can be heard in hip-hop songs by the likes of Tupac Shakur, KRS-One, and the Notorious B.I.G.. Ellis continued to stay active until his health began to give out in the mid 2000’s. Diagnosed with cancer in late 2007, Alton Ellis died from it on October 10, 2008. He was 70 years old.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
What You Should Own
Sonny Bradshaw was a beloved Jamaican musician whose career spanned a remarkable six decades. He was as multi-faceted as he was renowned. Besides playing the trumpet, piano, trombone, saxophone, and clarinet, Bradshaw was a composer, arranger, producer, journalist and promoter. During the ’50s, he formed the Sonny Bradshaw 7, which turned out to be the first significant musical home of many great Jamaican musicians to come. In the early ’60s, Bradshaw began working in radio, with his Teenage Dance Party, becoming the first place many Jamaicans heard the early songs of future legends. On October 10, 2009, Sonny Bradshaw died after having been ill following a stroke a few months earlier. He was 83 years old.
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