DESMOND DEKKER (1941 - 2006)
Desmond Dekker’s voice is described as one of the most identifiable of the rocksteady era, but his musical career began long before this genre. Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in 1941, he first earned his living as welder.
After unsuccessful auditions at Sir Coxsone’s and Duke Reid’s studios he tried Leslie Kong’s Beverly record label where he was signed. By 1963, Dacres was changed to Dekker and records such as Honour Your Father and Mother, Sinners Come Home and Labour for Learning were produced. By his fourth hit song, Dekker was an island wide star. However, he is best remembered for his four hits, which he recorded with his backing group The Aces (Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard); Israelites, 007 (Shanty Town), It Mek, Writing on the Wall and Unity. In 1968, Israelites topped the U.K. charts and reached the top 10 on US Billboard charts (a rarity during this time). He goes down in history as the first Jamaican performer to enter US markets with pure Jamaican music.
Desmond Dekker was also the winner of the Jamaica Festival Song Competition in 1968 with his entry, Intensified.
In the
1970s Leslie Kong, head of Beverly’s record label died and Dekker spent most of
his time touring; he released a few singles but did not get much chart success.
He continued recording but did not achieve the magnitude of success he had in
1960s.
Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack on May 24, 2006.