Owen Gray
May 29th 2006 11:32
Owen Gray is performing in LA alongside Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Pat Kelly and Dennis Alcapone on June 11th.
I was fortunate enough to see Owen Gray perform in Melbourne in November 2004. Though a decent age he performed with great gusto and showmanship. Before that moment I hadn’t come across Gray very often – he was really overshadowed by other Jamaican artists. Seeing him perform with the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, a 27 piece band of Melbourne ska identities, created a new interest for the artist, particularly in me. I quickly discovered he was someone with a wealth of experience to match his performance skills. He obviously had a deep passion for the music and this had lasted over 45 years in the business. Though he probably doesn’t have the string of hits like artists such as Jimmy Cliff or Desmond Dekker, his appeal lies in his passion and humility.
Owen Gray was born in 1939 and grew up in Trenchtown, Jamaica. He attended the Alpha Boys School alongside many other great music names and began performing from a young age as well as trying his hand at drama while at University. He has the claim of being the first to record a dubplate and was the inspiration for many other musicians. Having heard Gray on the radio (and knowing him as was the nature in Kingston at the time) many others wanted what he had. In 1960 he recorded Please Don’t Let Me Go with the Caribs, who contained Ernest Ranglin’ and also some Australians living in Jamaica. On the Beach, a song recorded shortly after is another of his most well known tracks. He was very much the first recording star in Jamaica releasing the popular American R&B style. His songs were also gaining popularity with the Jamaican community in the UK and he relocated there in 1962.
Owen Gray tried his hand at a variety of genres – soul just as much as the Jamaican ones. Soul was very popular in the UK and he quite happily mixed it in as he moved in ska, rocksteady and reggae genres. His rendition of Can I Get a Witness is a cracker. To this day he performs a large variety of styles and is open to the progression of Jamaican music (The Age, 2004).
Owen Gray worked with some of the biggest names and recorded for some of the most well known labels in Jamaican music history. Coxsone Dodd and Studio One, Chris Blackwell and Island Records, Melodisc, Camel (Pama) and Trojan all released Gray’s music at different times. Some of his other most popular tracks include Jezebel, Darling Patricia and Bongo Natty amongst others.
Like many Jamaican musicians, his career went up and down and he moved between the UK, USA and Jamaica. Right now there is resurgence in popularity for the Jamaican greats and he is performing across the world to very receptive crowds.
Photo Copyright Glen Smyth
References
Reggaetrain.com
Kate Welsman for The Age
Answers.com
I was fortunate enough to see Owen Gray perform in Melbourne in November 2004. Though a decent age he performed with great gusto and showmanship. Before that moment I hadn’t come across Gray very often – he was really overshadowed by other Jamaican artists. Seeing him perform with the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, a 27 piece band of Melbourne ska identities, created a new interest for the artist, particularly in me. I quickly discovered he was someone with a wealth of experience to match his performance skills. He obviously had a deep passion for the music and this had lasted over 45 years in the business. Though he probably doesn’t have the string of hits like artists such as Jimmy Cliff or Desmond Dekker, his appeal lies in his passion and humility.
Owen Gray with the Melbourne Ska Orchestra
Owen Gray was born in 1939 and grew up in Trenchtown, Jamaica. He attended the Alpha Boys School alongside many other great music names and began performing from a young age as well as trying his hand at drama while at University. He has the claim of being the first to record a dubplate and was the inspiration for many other musicians. Having heard Gray on the radio (and knowing him as was the nature in Kingston at the time) many others wanted what he had. In 1960 he recorded Please Don’t Let Me Go with the Caribs, who contained Ernest Ranglin’ and also some Australians living in Jamaica. On the Beach, a song recorded shortly after is another of his most well known tracks. He was very much the first recording star in Jamaica releasing the popular American R&B style. His songs were also gaining popularity with the Jamaican community in the UK and he relocated there in 1962.
Owen Gray tried his hand at a variety of genres – soul just as much as the Jamaican ones. Soul was very popular in the UK and he quite happily mixed it in as he moved in ska, rocksteady and reggae genres. His rendition of Can I Get a Witness is a cracker. To this day he performs a large variety of styles and is open to the progression of Jamaican music (The Age, 2004).
Owen Gray worked with some of the biggest names and recorded for some of the most well known labels in Jamaican music history. Coxsone Dodd and Studio One, Chris Blackwell and Island Records, Melodisc, Camel (Pama) and Trojan all released Gray’s music at different times. Some of his other most popular tracks include Jezebel, Darling Patricia and Bongo Natty amongst others.
Like many Jamaican musicians, his career went up and down and he moved between the UK, USA and Jamaica. Right now there is resurgence in popularity for the Jamaican greats and he is performing across the world to very receptive crowds.
Photo Copyright Glen Smyth
References
Reggaetrain.com
Kate Welsman for The Age
Answers.com
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