Earl Zero

Earl "Zero" Johnson emerged as a pivotal figure among roots-era singer/songwriters, issuing potent cultural anthems whose vivid lyrics rode atop the Soul Syndicate band’s rugged, militant rhythms. His signature recording, the acknowledged classic “None Shall Escape the Judgement,” propelled Johnny Clarke to stardom. Born in 1952 in Kingston’s Greenwich Town district, the eldest of ten children to a fisherman father and fishmonger mother, Zero shared an early musical awakening with schoolmate Earl “Chinna” Smith. Largely self-taught, the pair began composing material together, and a local shoemaker supplied their initial studio opportunity.

In 1975, producer Bunny Lee—whose nearby bar and yard served as a neighborhood gathering spot—overheard Zero and Smith performing “Judgement,” leading to a session at Treasure Isle. Lee ultimately set Zero’s take aside and passed the song to another vocalist, yielding Jamaica’s biggest-selling single of the year and leaving Zero empty-handed. That same year, however, he launched Don Mais’ fledgling Roots Tradition imprint with “Home Sweet Home” and also cut “I No Lie” for the label. Additional dates followed: Al Campbell helmed the forceful “Righteous Work,” while Tommy Cowan produced “City of the Weak Heart” and “Please Officer,” the latter later reworked for Prince Jammy and adapted by Jimmy Cliff as “Peace Officer.”

Zero joined forces with Bertram Brown in 1976, generating a run of singles that included “Get Happy,” “Blackbird,” and “Shackles and Chains.” These tracks formed the core of his 1979 album In the Right Way, issued in Britain under the title Only Jah Can Ease the Pressure. The same year saw the U.S.-only Visions of Love, which mixed fresh material with revisits of earlier songs. Proceeds from that release enabled Zero to relocate to the States, where he remains and continues to perform regularly. Though fresh studio work has been rare, his catalog—via singles, compilations, and CD editions of both albums—stays in circulation, highlighted by the later appearance of the Roots and Romance collection.