Jackie Edwards

Jackie Edwards earned the nickname Nat King Cole of Jamaica, a label that suited this polished and adaptable vocalist along with his notable songwriting gifts. Born Wilfred Gerald Edwards in 1938, he had already become a prominent figure across the island by the final years of the 1950s. Future Island Records founder Chris Blackwell recognized his abilities and encouraged the move to the U.K. in 1962. Although some reviewers found him overly refined and emotional—he originated the title “cool ruler”—Edwards delivered strong work across every stage of Jamaica’s musical development, from ska and rocksteady through roots and lovers rock, a genre whose sound his style clearly helped shape, as well as conventional pop and a striking gospel album. He supplied the Spencer Davis Group with its first three chart successes in the mid-1960s, among them the enduring singles “Keep on Running” and “Somebody Help Me,” while “Get Up” supplied the foundation for The Clash’s “Revolution Rock.” When Blackwell redirected Island Records toward rock in 1972, Edwards returned to Jamaica and produced what stands as his strongest material, working with producer Bunny Lee and The Aggrovators. Largely overlooked in later years, perhaps because his mainstream approach differed from the typical rastafarian singers of his generation, Edwards nevertheless ranked among the island’s most versatile performers and accomplished songwriters. He died of a heart attack on August 15, 1992.