Issue 09
THE LEGENDS OF SKA
By Joey AltrudaPhotography By David Jiro
Illustration By Kristian Henson
Alton Ellis
If any one artist can be considered the “Godfather of Rocksteady,” it is Alton Ellis. One of a select few artists to make records for both archrival producers Sir Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, Ellis’s output served as a bridge in the transition from ska to reggae. In its accidental inception, the slowed, syncopated pace of rocksteady music was a blessing for a singer like Ellis, his voice a silky-smooth vessel carrying his great gift for channeling and interpreting the lyrics of heartbreak, joy, and injustice.
Born in 1944, Ellis grew up in the squalid Trenchtown area of Kingston, and learned to play the piano as a youngster, often breaking into a neighborhood youth center at night to practice. At 15, he and Eddy Perkins, together known as Alton & Eddy, took first place at a prominent talent show with their song “Muriel,” which they soon recorded for Sir Coxsone’s Worldisc imprint. When Perkins left Jamaica to pursue a solo career in the U.S., Ellis stayed behind and performed alone, often finding commercial success with his records but making very little money from them.
In 1965, Ellis made the jump to Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label, and it was there that rocksteady was unexpectedly created during the infamous recording session where keyboardist Jackie Mittoo’s straggling left hand filled in for the no-show bassist. The result of that session was “Get Ready – Rock Steady,” a mega-hit and the namesake of the popular new style it featured. Whether intentionally or not, the groundbreaking single made Alton Ellis a pioneer and a legend of Jamaican music.
Desmond Dekker
Derrick Morgan
Alton Ellis
Owen Gray
Rico Rodriguez