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One of the first vocalists to enter the Jamaican music business, Alton Ellis was generally revered as the greatest and most soulful singer the country ever produced -- that is, until Bob Marley came along. Ellis had his first hit during the ska craze, but made his true lasting mark as the definitive solo singer of the rocksteady era. Sweet, smooth, and deeply emotive, Ellis was equally at home on Jamaican originals or reggae-fied covers of American R&B hits. He cut a series of ska singles for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label, but reached his prime during the mid- to late '60s, when he recorded some of rocksteady's signature tunes for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle imprint.

Ellis was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1938 and grew up in the Trenchtown area as part of a musically inclined family. As a youngster, he learned to sing and play piano, the latter often by breaking into a local youth center to practice by night. In his early teens, he teamed up with another singer, Eddie Parkins, to form the duo Alton & Eddie. In 1959, after winning a prominent talent show, they recorded the single "Muriel," which became a substantial hit in Jamaica. Not long after cutting the follow-up "My Heaven," Parkins left to try a solo career in the United States, leaving Ellis a solo act.

Ellis recorded for Dodd's Studio One label during the early '60s, but made little money. Dissatisfied, he moved over to Reid's Treasure Isle in 1965, and formed a backup vocal trio called the Flames (the first incarnation featured his brother Leslie, and membership would fluctuate). Ellis quickly scored a major hit with the antiviolence plea "Dance Crasher," and the following year, he released what was arguably the first rocksteady single, "Get Ready - Rock Steady." Its innovative beat grew out of a session where the scheduled bassist didn't show up, forcing keyboardist Jackie Mittoo to play the bass part himself; Mittoo's left hand couldn't keep up with the frantic ska beat, so he elected to slow down the tempo. The result was a choppier rhythm that wound up allowing the vocalist to stretch out more, and soon the rocksteady sound had taken over Jamaican music, with Ellis leading the charge. He had several other major successes in 1966, including "Cry Tough" and the smash "Girl I've Got a Date," the latter of which became his biggest hit and signature song. He also cut several duets with Phyllis Dillon (making them Jamaica's answer to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell), as well as his sister Hortense Ellis (including a hit cover of Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"). The classic LP Mr. Soul of Jamaica (later reissued on CD as Cry Tough) gathered many of his best Treasure Isle tracks.

By 1968, Ellis had resumed working for Studio One in addition to his output for Treasure Isle, making him one of the few singers to bridge the gap between the two archrivals. Most of his biggest hits of the late '60s came on Studio One, including the American soul cover "Willow Tree," "I'm Just a Guy," and "Sitting in the Park." In 1970, he released the album Sunday Coming, one of his strongest Studio One sets. Ellis later teamed with producer Lloyd Daley for a brief period, which resulted in the more Rastafarian-tinged hits "Lord Deliver Us" and "Back to Africa"; he also worked with Keith Hudson. However, he was still not receiving proper financial compensation for all his success. Disillusioned, he spent some time in the U.S. and Canada, then relocated to England on a mostly permanent basis in 1973.

In England, Ellis established his own Alltone label, which he devoted to both new recordings and compilations of his early classics. The international popularity of Bob Marley and the rise of roots reggae meant that Ellis' considerable legacy was soon overshadowed, but over time, he remained a fondly remembered pioneer of Jamaican music. He made triumphant returns to Jamaica with well-received sets at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in both 1983 and 1985, and recorded a new single, "Man from Studio One," for Dodd in 1991. Numerous compilations of his work appeared during the CD era, illustrating his stunning consistency. Ellis died in November 2008. ~ Steve Huey

Delroy Wilson was one of Jamaica's most soulful vocalists, and over a 40-year career the singer unleashed a flood of hits and a multitude of masterpieces. Born on October 5, 1948, in the Kingston neighborhood of Trenchtown, Wilson's phenomenal talent would be his ticket out of the ghetto, and his discovery by producer Coxsone Dodd in 1962 would change the path of Jamaican music. His first recording for Dodd, "If I Had a Beautiful Baby" did little, but the producer stuck by his prodigy, and his follow-up "Spit in the Sky," was a sound system smash. That number was Dodd's personally composed smack at rival Prince Buster, while Lee Perry penned Wilson's "Joe Liges" as a sharp rebuke aimed at Buster's "Bad Minded People." "Joe Liges" garnered Wilson his first chart hit, and sparked Jamaican's continuing love affair with pint-sized singing stars.

The vinyl battle continued across a clutch of notable singles, including "Prince Pharaoh" and "I Shall Not Remove," the latter titling Wilson's 1966 debut album, while he also cut the proto-Rasta "Lion of Judah." Across the ska era, the teen sensation recorded a steady stream of popular numbers for Dodd, and even better material was to come once he hit puberty and his voice broke. Wilson's cover of the Tams' "Dancing Mood" arrived in 1966, helping to set the stage for the rocksteady era. The song was a smash, and remained a fan favorite, prompting the singer to recut the song several times in later years.

A deluge of classic hits followed over the next year. "Riding for a Fall," "Once Upon a Time," "Won't You Come Home," "Conquer Me," "True Believer," "I'm Not a King," and "Rain from the Sky" all flooded out of Studio One and onto the Jamaican chart, establishing Wilson as one of the label's biggest hitmakers. Many of these seminal rocksteady masterpieces were gathered up by Dodd for the 1969 set The Best of Delroy Wilson, better known as Original Twelve. Wilson's lesser hits were equally fabulous, and songs like "Run Run," "Ungrateful Baby," "It's Impossible," and "Mr. DJ" (aka "Feel the Spirit") are today considered classics.

By his late teens, the singer was delivering the kind of emotionally nuanced and soulful performances that would define his adult work. It was at this point, in 1967, that Wilson split from Dodd, and joined forces with producer Bunny Lee. It turned out to be only a brief flirtation, but did result in a clutch of notable recordings, including "This Old Heart of Mind," before the singer returned to Studio One.

However, the following year, Wilson again departed Dodd's stable, and launched the W&C label with fellow singer Wilburn Cole. The label was inaugurated with Wilson's solo "Once Upon a Time" and the duo's "I Want to Love You." Both were fabulous numbers, but they couldn't save W&C's fortunes, and like most Jamaican artist-owned labels, the venture failed. The Links label suffered the same fate. This was an even more extravagant venture, launched this same year by Wilson, Ken Boothe, the Gaylads and the Melodians. It too released only a small number of singles, including Wilson's fabulous "Give Love a Try," before folding.

Thus before the year was out, the entire Links crew had moved en masse to producer Sonia Pottinger's stable. There Wilson unleashed another stream of classic singles, including the major hit "Put Yourself in My Place." Even with this success, however, the singer remained restless, and briefly joined up with new producer Keith Hudson for a phenomenal recut of "Run Run," retitled "I'm Gonna Get You." Afterwards he rejoined many of his old Links compatriots at producer Leslie Kong's Beverley label. Among the superb songs Wilson cut there was "Show Me the Way" and the effervescent "Gave You My Love."

1970 saw the artist's first tour of the U.K., where he also recorded a number of songs for the Trojan label. Back in Jamaica, Wilson continued the studio rounds, working with a variety of producers, including his old mentor Coxsone Dodd, but most memorably with Bunny Lee. In 1971, Wilson and Lee unleashed "Better Must Come," a sufferer's song whose yearning for better days was used by the People's National Party as their campaign theme song. The number defined the times, and helped sweep the PNP to electoral victory, while also titling Wilson's next album. The singer followed up his smash with the equally memorable "Cool Operator."

Wilson continued cutting excellent sides for Lee, as well as numerous other producers. There were return engagements with Pottinger, Dodd, and Hudson; the latter's "Addis Abada" is of particular note. There were stints with Niney Holness, including the anthemic hit "Rascal Man" and superb "Half Way Up the Stairs"; fabulous recordings with Joe Gibbs including "Mash Up Illiteracy" and "Pretty Girl"; the astoundingly creative "Ain't That Peculiar" for Douglas Williams; "Have Some Mercy," a major hit cut for A. Folder; as well as equally excellent work with Gussie Clarke, Harry J Johnson, Phil Pratt, Vincent Chin, and others.

1976 brought another smash, a sublime cover of Bob Marley's "I'm Still Waiting," cut for Lloyd Charmers. A stellar new album Sarge, and the Tony Robinson produced Greatest Hits both arrived this same year. And the hits just kept coming. Among them was "All in This Together" and "Come in Heaven" for Gussie Clarke, and a stream of stellar singles for the likes of Jack Ruby and Bob Andy.

Still, Wilson's career was considerably slowed by the rise of the DJs in the early '80s. However, he bounced back with 1987's "Don't Put the Blame on Me," cut for King Jammy, and the equally successful Lee produced "Ease Up" the following year. Phil Pratt would oversee his 1986 album, Looking for Love, while Earl "Flabba" Holt produced the following year's Which Way Is Up. In 1994, Wilson's enduring legacy to Jamaican music was recognized by a special plaque awarded him by the Jamaican government and presented by Prime Minister Patterson. Although the singer continued recording sporadically during the early '90s, by then his health was failing. Tragically, Wilson died of cirrhosis of the liver on March 6, 1995. ~ Jo-Ann Greene

One of reggae's early performers, Errol Durkley bridged the roots music of Jamaica, in the 1960s, and London's Brit-reggae scene of the ‘70s. His biggest hit, a remake of John Holt's "OK Fred", which barely missed the UK top ten in 1978, was re-recorded, as a duet with Queen Sister *N*, in 1996.

Eleven years old when he made his recording debut, Dunkley went on to work with many of Jamaica's greatest producers. His debut 1964 recording, "My Queen", was produced by Prince Buster, while Joe Gibbs oversaw the recording of his first hit, You're Gonna Need Me", in 1967. Although he recorded several tunes for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One and Bunny Lee, none became a hit. He fared much better with "Three In One", produced by Rupie Edwards, in 1969, and dancehall anthem, "Black Cinderella", produced by Jimmy Rodway, in 1972. His first album, Presenting Errol Durkley, followed shortly afterwards.

Although he founded the African Museum label with Gregory Isaacs and scored the imprint's first hit single, "Movie Star", based on Delroy Wilson's "I Don't Know Why", in the early-1970s, Durkley left the label and moved to London, in 1973. Signing with the Shelley Recording Company, Dunkley recorded his second album, Sit And Cry in a London studio. Durkley continued to build a following in the United Kingdom and Europe. His first British hit, "A Little Way Different", released in 1974, was followed by such UK releases as "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Happiness Forget" and "OK Fred.

Durkley's debut album was reissued, as Darling Ooh, in 1991. After maintaining a low profile, as a recording artist, in the 1980s, Durkley released Continually in 2000 and Please Stop Your Lying in 2001. ~ Craig Harris