Pat Kelly

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1949, Pat Kelly ranked among the island’s foremost exponents of rocksteady. A singer whose voice evoked Curtis Mayfield, he stepped into Slim Smith’s role beside Bruce Ruffin and Winston Riley in the Techniques near the close of 1966. The refreshed lineup cut polished soul covers, concentrating especially on material by the Impressions. Their first single, the Impressions’ “You’ll Want Me Back” retitled “You Don’t Care,” was later issued under its original name. Another Impressions number, “Minstrel & Queen,” came next, and the Techniques soon tallied a string of successes that encompassed “My Girl” and “Love Is Not A Gamble.”

Kelly launched a solo career in 1968 with still another Curtis Mayfield composition, “Little Boy Blue.” During his brief absence the Uniques supplied harmonies for several sides that revisited “Daddy’s Home,” “I’m in the Mood for Love,” and “You Are Not Mine.” Less than a year later he rejoined the Techniques, immediately scoring with a luminous reading of the Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain” and additional rocksteady numbers that featured Hopeton Lewis or Winston Riley. In 1969 he again struck out alone, delivering a reggae adaptation of James Carr’s “Dark End of the Street,” followed by “Since You’re Gone” and “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.” He shuttled between studios, cutting material for both Bunny Lee and Lee Perry.

His Jamaican, Caribbean, and British audiences embraced nearly everything he released, “How Long Will It Take” proving especially popular. Buoyed by that track’s reception, he traveled to the United Kingdom, secured a contract with Pama Records, and issued the album Pat Kelly Sings; most subsequent singles appeared on the label’s Gas imprint. Returning to Jamaica, he maintained a steady output that included the Phil Pratt collaboration Cool Breezing (Soulful Love). Kelly remained active through 1978, yet the genre’s turn toward the candid, youth-driven themes of the day diminished demand for his romantic style. His strongest work now circulates on solo compilations and multi-artist collections accessible online.