Country: Jamaica
Owen Gray OD (5 July 1939 – 20 July 2025), also known as Owen Grey, was a pioneering Jamaican singer whose career spanned R&B, ska, rocksteady, and reggae. Widely regarded as Jamaica’s first home-grown singing star, Gray showed musical talent from a young age, winning a talent contest at nine and performing publicly by twelve. He attended the Alpha Boys School, became a professional musician at nineteen, and quickly gained a reputation as a versatile and charismatic performer. In 1959, he made history by becoming the first singer to praise a sound system on record with “On the Beach,” celebrating Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s Sir Coxsone Downbeat and launching what would become the legendary Studio One label. Gray played a crucial role in the international spread of Jamaican music. His single “Patricia” (1960) was the first record ever released by Island Records, produced by Chris Blackwell. After early chart success in Jamaica with “Please Let Me Go,” he moved to the United Kingdom in 1962, where his records sold well and his reputation grew as both a ska and soul singer. Throughout the 1960s, he worked with nearly every major Jamaican producer, including Prince Buster, Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, and Clancy Eccles, recording hits such as “Cupid” and collaborating with Millie Small. His music also found favor with early British skinheads, notably the 1970 track “Apollo 12.” In the 1970s, Gray continued to evolve musically, recording reggae material and paying tribute to Rastafari themes with songs like “Hail the Man,” honoring Emperor Haile Selassie. After time spent in New Orleans, he returned to Jamaica to work with producer Bunny Lee, later relocating to Miami in the 1980s, where he focused more on ballads and gospel music. His influence remained enduring, and in August 2023 he was awarded the Order of Distinction…
Gallery
