Died On This Date (November 23, 2011) Barry Llewellyn / Founder Of The Heptones
themusicsover Barry Llewellyn
1947 – November 23, 2011
Barry Llewellyn was the co-founder of influential Jamaican reggae trio, the Heptones. Formed with Earl Morgan while still teens during the late ’50s, the vocal group, which soon included Leroy Sibbles, went on to record some of the most significant records in the reggae history. They have been cited as being largely responsible for slowing the beat of ska down to the less energetic rocksteady, which in turn spawned reggae. Their three-part harmonies can be heard on such records as “I’ve Got A Felling, “Suspicious Minds,” “Get In The Groove”, and “Fatty Fatty,” which became their first hit on Jamaican radio. Many of their early songs were recorded by the legendary Coxsone Dodd at his Studio One, while later albums were made for Island Records, including Night Food, which was produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry. The group continued to tour and record throughout the ’70s, but had disbanded by the dawn of the 1980s. The Heptones reunited in 1995 to help bolster a ska and rocksteady revival. Barry Llewellyn, who was 64, passed away in a Kingston hospital on November 23, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.
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