Lacksley Castell

Lacksley Castell (10 April 1959 – November 1983) was a Jamaican reggae singer best known for his contributions to the early 1980s reggae scene. Born in Kingston’s Waterhouse district, Castell grew up in a musical neighborhood alongside artists like Black Uhuru and The Travellers. He began his career with the help of friends Hugh Mundell and Junior Reid, releasing his first singles, “Babylon World” and “Love in Your Heart”, in 1978 with producer Augustus Pablo. In 1979, his recordings at Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark Studios, including “Jah Love Is Sweeter”, gained attention in the UK reggae charts, while “What a Great Day” produced by Prince Jammy reached the top five of the reggae 12-inch singles chart. In 1980, Castell collaborated with Hugh Mundell on the album Jah Fire, produced by Prince Jammy, and contributed backing vocals to Sugar Minott’s Black Roots album. He scored further hits with singles like “African Queen” and released his first solo album, Morning Glory, in 1982 under Negus Roots. His second album, Princess Lady (1983), was co-arranged by Dean Fraser and mixed by Mad Professor. Castell was also credited as an arranger on Sly & Robbie’s 1982 album Dub Rockers Delight, which featured dub versions of tracks from Morning Glory. Tragically, Castell died in November 1983 at just 24 years old after an illness. He was buried in May Pen Cemetery in Kingston. Despite his brief career, his albums Morning Glory and Princess Lady have endured, being reissued on CD in 2005, and his musical legacy continues through tributes and a dedicated Facebook page maintained by his brother, Trevor Castell.