Hopeton Lewis

Hopeton Lewis exerted a deep influence on Jamaican music through his resonant baritone, whose fusion of gospel and soul ingredients helped define the contours of early rocksteady. Born on October 3, 1947, in Kingston, he lost his mother at age two and subsequently moved among aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Church singing began for him by age six, and when he found himself independent at fifteen he turned once more to song. He soon assembled his debut group, the Regals, locking in the direction his career would follow. Although he launched his recording efforts at Studio One like so many Jamaican vocalists, he quickly relocated to Ken Khouri’s Federal Studios. There he cut what is widely regarded as the first rocksteady single, “Take It Easy,” supported by Lynn Taitt & the Jets. Winston Blake’s Merritone label issued the track in 1966, and it became a major hit. In the late sixties Lewis formed a duo with Glen Brown. His solo profile surged after he captured the 1970 Festival Song Competition with “Boom Shacka Lacka,” which he recorded for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label. He next joined Byron Lee’s Dynamic Sound roster and released the 1973 album Groovin’ Out on Life, confirming his stature as a powerful singer and performer; The Dynamic Hopeton Lewis appeared soon afterward. In the late eighties Lewis founded his own imprint, Bay City Music, and increasingly embraced gospel. This Is Gospel arrived in 1996, followed by Reaching Out to Jesus in 2000. From that point he remained devoted to gospel, issuing a steady stream of albums that includes Lay Your Hands on Me Jesus, Caribbean Gospel Jubilee, Inner Peace, Hopeton Lewis Sings Country Gospel, The Many Moods of Gospel, and The Inspirational Hopeton Lewis.