Derrick Morgan

Derrick Morgan ranks among ska's originators from its earliest Jamaican wave, surfacing with forerunners such as the Skatalites, Laurel Aitken, Prince Buster, and Desmond Dekker. March 1940 marked his birth; he grew up near Kingston, absorbing sounds that stretched from New Orleans R&B to choral selections at the church where his father acted as deacon. At seventeen he captured first place in the yearly Vere John's Opportunity talent contest by delivering fiery versions of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally" and "Jenny Jenny." In 1959 he joined producer Duke Reid for his first single, "Lover Boy." His next release, "Fat Man," became a nationwide sensation in Jamaica, and he followed with further successes on "Leave Earth" and "Wigger Wee Shuffle," both made under the guidance of Clement "Coxsone" Dodd.

By 1960 Morgan held undisputed status as ska's leading figure; at the height of his renown he became the sole Jamaican performer to occupy the top seven positions on the national singles chart in a single week, driven by a run of hits that included "Be Still," "In My Heart," "Don't Call Me Daddy," "Moon Hop," and "Meekly Wait and Murmur Not." In 1961 he delivered his career-defining success, "Housewives' Choice," and the following year—marking Jamaica's independence—he cut the inaugural emancipation anthem, "Forward March." A sharp musical rivalry soon developed between Morgan and Prince Buster, then the two dominant ska artists, and their supporters' clashes grew so intense that by 1963 newly installed government officials stepped in, arranged a truce, and posed the rivals together for photographs signaling reconciliation.

Morgan released "Tougher Than Tough" in 1966, the recording now acknowledged as the first rocksteady single. Subsequent innovations followed: "Went to the Hop" introduced electric bass guitar to Jamaican music, "Blazing Fire" featured the first electric piano, "Love Not to Brag" paired him with female vocalist Millicent Patsy Todd in the island's first such duet, and "Seven Letters," made with brother-in-law Bunny Lee, became the earliest reggae track. He also oversaw sessions for emerging talents that included Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Garnet Silk. Although he resided in Britain from 1963 and relocated to Miami in the 1980s, Morgan retained commanding influence in Jamaica through the rest of the decade; even as his visibility declined in the 1970s he maintained a steady recording pace. Vision difficulties prompted him to scale back live appearances in the late 1970s, and a 1989 attempt to book shows revealed that one agent believed he had already passed away. From the 1990s onward, however, he has resumed occasional concerts and festival appearances while returning to the studio at intervals. Radiation Roots Records reissued his 1977 reggae album People Decision in 2017.