Remembering Gregory Isaacs On His 70th Birthday
Grand plans were afoot to celebrate late reggae crooner Gregory Isaacs’ 70th birthday today, as his widow June had earlier announced two tribute concerts to be held in Canada and Brazil this month. With the social restrictions imposed by the coronavirus, the Cool Ruler will virtually receive his birthday toast, as London-based Fresh Radio will dedicate 12 hours to his extensive catalog. Tributes from Europe, Africa, and Jamaica are also expected to form part of the program, which will run from 8 am to 8 pm.
It is in London, where Isaacs had gone to do a show, that he succumbed to lung cancer on October 25, 2010. The 60-year-old left behind an enviable legacy of ageless lovers rock music, but also one smeared by his battle with drug abuse, which he often addressed candidly.
After futile recordings and an unsuccessful stint with The Concords trio in the late 60s, Isaacs’ career finally picked up in 1972 when he formed the African Museum record label with friend and singer Errol Dunkley.
The joint-venture symbolized their fight against an unorganized music industry, which adopted the corrupt structure of the American music industry. This resulted in many artistes being indebted to labels for life and earning little from their royalties due to rigged contracts and copyright ignorance.
Through the label, Isaacs not only provided more opportunities for independence for acts like the Mighty Diamonds, Alvin Ranglin and Bingy Bunny, but he also secured a consistent income stream, which helped to finance the label.
He also got the chance to produce and record many of his own groovy classics, including My Only Lover, Night Nurse, The Winner, Tune In, and If You See My Mary.
Isaacs also stayed relevant by working with other producers, which spawned hits like Soon Forward, My Number One, and Love is Overdue.
Isaacs released a reported 500 albums in Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and The United States altogether. But his quick turnaround wasn’t just inspired by his love for music, but also a need to finance his deleterious drug habit.
In a 2019 interview with The Gleaner, June said she first confirmed her husband’s substance abuse when she tracked him down at a hotel in Stony Hill, St Andrew, where she found him snorting cocaine. The revelation followed the withdrawal of hefty sums of cash from their bank account, and the singer going missing for several days.
His addiction grew worse as the years went by, with the couple losing their home (which occupied 10 of his kids) being just one of several lows. The biggest plunge was being dropped from Island Records because of his absenteeism from shows and appointments, and his disregard for time.
Attempts to get him clean were exhausted by June and Gregory’s mother, but as the Cool Ruler famously put it in a 2007 interview the Telegraph, his use of cocaine was, “the greatest college I’ve ever been, but the most expensive school fee I’ve ever paid.”
The couple ultimately separated because of the toll of his addiction on their marriage, and Isaacs later relocated to London.
Since 2017, June has staged an annual concert in his honor (Red Rose for Gregory), the proceeds for which go to the Patricia House drug rehabilitation center in Kingston.