1/ Bob Marley singer, songwriter, and guitarist who is considered a pioneer of reggae. In the early 1960s, while a schoolboy serving an apprenticeship as a welder (along with fellow aspiring singer Desmond Dekker), Marley was exposed to the languid jazz-inflected shuffle-beat rhythms of ska, a Jamaican amalgam of American rhythm and blues and Jamaican mento (folk-calypso) strains then catching on commercially. Marley was a fan of Fats Domino, the Moonglows,when his big chance came in 1961 to record with producer Leslie Kong, he cut “Judge Not,” a peppy ballad he had written that was derived from rural maxims learned from his grandfather. Among his other early tracks was “One Cup of Coffee” (a rendition of a 1961 hit by Texas country crooner Claude Gray), issued in 1963 in England on Chris Blackwell’s Anglo-Jamaican Island Records label.
2/Gregory Isaacs was known for his smooth and romantic style. Some of his most popular songs got him the name Cool Ruler.In 1968, he made his recording debut as Winston Sinclair, with the single “Another Heartache”, recorded for producer Byron Lee.[2] The single sold poorly and Isaacs went on to team up with Errol Dunkley to start the African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a hit with “My Only Lover”, credited as the first lovers’ rock record ever made, including “All I Have Is Love”, “Lonely Soldier”, “Black a Kill Black”, “Extra Classic” and his cover version of Dobby Dobson‘s “Loving Pauper”. In 1974, he began working with producer Alvin Ranglin, and that year he had his first Jamaican no. 1 single with “Love Is Overdue”.
3/Dennis Brown Considered by some to be the most gifted singer to ever come out of Jamaica. He began his singing career at the age of nine, while still at junior school, with an end-of-term concert the first time he performed in public, although he had been interested in music from an even earlier age, and as a youngster was a fan of American balladeers such as Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. “Money in my Pocket”, was a hit with UK reggae audiences and quickly became a favorite of his live performances.
4/Winston Rodney The lead singer of Burning Spear, who some say is one of the best reggae singers Jamaica has ever produced
5/Jimmy Cliff A Jamaican musician who is known as the “grandfather of reggae”. He became famous at the age of 14 and is known for popularizing reggae music He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour. Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as “Many Rivers to Cross“, “You Can Get It If You Really Want“, “The Harder They Come“, “Reggae Night“, and “Hakuna Matata“, and his covers of Cat Stevens‘s “Wild World” and Johnny Nash‘s “I Can See Clearly Now” from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae around the world, and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
6/Toots Hibbert A Jamaican singer and songwriter who is credited with helping to establish the fundamentals of reggae music. His 1968 song “Do the Reggay” is widely considered to be the song that gave the genre its name
7/Joe Higgs A Jamaican musician who is considered to be the “Godfather of Reggae”. He was a pioneer of the Jamaican music industry and mentored Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. His first release (with Wilson) was “Oh Manny Oh” in 1958, which was one of the first records to be pressed in Jamaica and went on to sell 50,000 copies. Higgs and Wilson also recorded for Clement “Coxsone” Dodd in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The partnership with Wilson dissolved in 1964 when Wilson emigrated to the United States. Higgs then concentrated on a solo career and also worked with Carlos Malcolm and the Afro-Jamaican Rhythms, before joining Lynn Taitt‘s The Soul Brothers as lead vocalist.
8/Marcia GriffithsGriffiths started her career in 1964, performing on stage with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires at the behest of Phillip James of The Blues Busters, who had heard her singing in her home neighbourhood. Her performance was sufficiently impressive that the following day Ronnie Nasralla and Clement Dodd both offered her recording contracts. She chose to record for Dodd’s Studio One label, where she recorded a series of duets with male singers such as Tony Gregory (“You’re Mine”), Bob Marley (“Oh My Darling”), Jeff Dixon (“Words”), and Bob Andy (“Always Together”), with whom she would have a relationship lasting several years. In 1968 she had her first success as a solo artist, with “Feel Like Jumping”, which like her other early Studio One solo hits (including “Truly” and “Melody Life”), were written by Andy.
9/Beres Hammond began participating in local talent contests from 1972 to 1973, which led to his first recording, of Ellis’ “Wanderer”. In 1975 he joined the band, Zap Pow, as lead singer, leading to the hit 1978 single, “The System” under the Aquarius Records label. However, he simultaneously sought a solo career, releasing his debut album, Soul Reggae, in 1976. His solo ballads “One Step Ahead” (1976) and Joe Gibbs produced “I’m in Love” (1978), were both hits in Jamaica. He left Zap Pow in 1979 to pursue his solo career, and recorded two more albums Let’s Make A Song in 1980 and Red Light 1981.
10/Alton Ellis Ellis was raised within a musical family which included his older brothers Leslie [who performed as one of his back up singers and co-wrote some of his songs], and Irving [known as ‘Niney’] who was a popular singer and steel pan player on Jamaica’s North Coast. He learned to play the piano at a young age. He attended Ebeneezer and Boys’ Town schools, where he excelled in both music and sport. While at Boys’ Town Ellis performed as a dancer (in a duo) in the first show that a school director called Mr Bailey had organized for Vere Johns who had been invited down to talent scout. He would later compete on Vere Johns‘ Opportunity Hour. After winning some competitions, he switched to singing, starting his career in 1959.
11/Bunny Rugs in the mid-1960s before leading the early line-up of Inner Circle in 1969. he was a member of the dance band Hugh Hendricks and the Buccaneers, and later the Bluegrass Experience with Glen Adams, Eric Frater and Sparrow Martin. He was also a member of The Wild Bunch before returning to New York and taking over as lead singer of Third World from Milton “Prilly” Hamilton in 1976. With Third World he recorded the successful 96° in the Shade album, and was with the band until his death in early 2014
12 /John Holt. By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by Vere Johns, winning 28 contests, He recorded his first single in 1963 with “Forever I’ll Stay”/”I Cried a Tear” in 1965 join the group Binders, the name was change due to one member leaving and another joining to Paragons.He subsequently concentrated on his solo career, recording for Prince Buster (“Oh Girl”, “Rain From the Skies”), Reid (“Stealing Stealing”, “Ali Baba”), Dodd (including “Fancy Make-up”, “A Love I Can Feel“, “Let’s Build Our Dreams” and “OK Fred“), Alvin Ranglin (“Strange Things”), and Phil Pratt (“My Heart Is Gone”) By the early 1970s, he was one of the biggest stars of reggae, and his work with producer Lee was key to his success; “Stick By Me” was the biggest selling Jamaican record of 1972.
14/Ken Boothe known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica’s finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appealed to both reggae fans and mainstream audiences.Boothe’s first solo tracks were recorded in 1966 after Clement “Coxsone” Dodd had signed him to his Studio One Label. He also recorded material for Phil Pratt and Sonia Pottinger the same year. He had almost immediate success with songs including “The Train Is Coming” (on which he was backed by the Wailers), the first, ska version, of later reggae song You’re No Good with Soulettes (the group Bob Marley’s future wife Rita Anderson was in) on B-side, and “Lonely Teardrops”. The following year, Boothe and Alton Ellis had a successful UK tour with the Studio One session group, the Soul Vendors.
Just to name a few has made a big in pack in the reggae industry.