Ernest Ranglin

Country: Jamaica

Ernest Adheir “Ernie” Ranglin OJ OD (born 19 June 1932) is a highly influential Jamaican guitarist, composer, and music director best known for shaping the rhythmic guitar style that defined early ska music. Beginning his career as a session guitarist, he worked with major Jamaican record labels such as Studio One, Federal, Treasure Isle, and Island Records. Ranglin played on countless foundational recordings and collaborated with iconic artists including Theophilus Beckford, Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, the Skatalites, and Monty Alexander. His distinctive style blends jazz, mento, reggae, rhythm and blues, and percussive guitar techniques. Born in Manchester, Jamaica, and raised in Kingston, Ranglin was largely self-taught, learning guitar from family members and later gaining sight-reading skills from violinist Tommy Tomlins. By his mid-teens, he was already performing professionally with orchestras such as the Val Bennett Orchestra and the Eric Deans Orchestra. During the 1950s and 1960s, he became a central figure in Jamaica’s emerging recording industry, arranging and performing on landmark tracks including “Easy Snapping,” “Shuffling Jug,” and the international hit “My Boy Lollipop.” He also played a key role behind the scenes as a music director and A&R man, while gaining international recognition during his nine-month residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. From the 1970s onward, Ranglin continued to influence Jamaican and global music through recordings, collaborations, and live performances. He worked closely with Monty Alexander, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Jimmy Cliff, and remained active well into the 21st century. His contributions have been widely honored, including the Order of Distinction (1973), an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies (2002), induction into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame (2008), and the Order of Jamaica (2021). Even after announcing his retirement, Ranglin continued recording, releasing Two Colors in 2022, cementing his legacy as…

Born in Manchester, Jamaica, and raised in Kingston, Ranglin was largely self-taught, learning guitar from family members and later gaining sight-reading skills from violinist Tommy Tomlins. By his mid-teens, he was already performing professionally with orchestras such as the Val Bennett Orchestra and the Eric Deans Orchestra. During the 1950s and 1960s, he became a central figure in Jamaica’s emerging recording industry, arranging and performing on landmark tracks including “Easy Snapping,” “Shuffling Jug,” and the international hit “My Boy Lollipop.” He also played a key role behind the scenes as a music director and A&R man, while gaining international recognition during his nine-month residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.

From the 1970s onward, Ranglin continued to influence Jamaican and global music through recordings, collaborations, and live performances. He worked closely with Monty Alexander, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Jimmy Cliff, and remained active well into the 21st century. His contributions have been widely honored, including the Order of Distinction (1973), an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies (2002), induction into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame (2008), and the Order of Jamaica (2021). Even after announcing his retirement, Ranglin continued recording, releasing Two Colors in 2022, cementing his legacy as one of the architects of modern Jamaican music.