Gregory Anthony Isaacs (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010) was a Jamaican
reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the
New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most
exquisite vocalist in reggae". His
nicknames include
Cool Ruler and
Lonely Lover.
Biography
In his teens, Isaacs became a veteran of the talent contests that regularly took place in Jamaica. In 1968, he made his recording debut with a duet with Winston Sinclair, "Another Heartache", recorded for producer
Byron Lee. The single sold poorly and Isaacs went on to team up with two other vocalists (Penroe and Bramwell) in the short-lived trio The Concords, recording for
Rupie Edwards and
Prince Buster. In 1973 he teamed up with another young singer,
Errol Dunkley to start the
African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a massive hit with "My Only Lover", credited as the first
lovers rock record ever made. He recorded for other producers to finance further African Museum recordings, having a string of hits in the...
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