Bad Boys Of Reggae, Inner Circle, Cheerleads Jacob Miller Day Celebrations
Led by the Bad Boys of Reggae, Inner Circle, tributes have been pouring out from Reggae lovers across the world in memory of late Reggae legend Jacob “Killer” Miller, on what would have been his 69th birthday today.
Miller who was the lead singer for the Inner Circle band, died in a car crash in 1980, in Kingston at the age of 27.
Ian Lewis, who along with his brother Roger, co-founded Inner Circle in 1968, have declared May 4 Jacob Miller Day, and this morning bright and early began encouraging fans of Miller to post tributes.
“Today is OFFICIALLY #JacobMiller Day! Join us in celebrating the icon on his Earthstrong! Post pics, videos, songs whatever you can find to honor his legacy! Blessings and love! #InnerCircle,” the band posted on its Instagram page, later adding: “Blessed Earthstrong 69th Earthstrong #JacobMiller. Your legacy will live forever!”
Miller who has been lauded as one of the most dynamic vocalists and performers in popular music, was born in Mandeville, Manchester and migrated to Kingston at eight years old, where he was raised by his maternal grandparents. His move to Kingston would prove to be a seminal event in his life, as Miller began spending much of his time at recording studios in the capital, most notably producer Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd’s now-famous Studio One.
Jacob had his first hit in 1968 as a teenager with Love is a Message, which was produced by Dodd. In the early 1970s, he also recorded for musician/producer Augustus Pablo, making a mark with edgy songs like Keep on Knocking, Each One Teach One and Baby I Love You.
Among Jacob’s other hits were Mr. Officer, False Rasta, Who Say Jah No Dread, All Night Till Daylight, Disciplined Child, Tenement Yard, Chapter A Day, I’ve Got The Handle, Mixed Up Moods, Peace Treaty, Standing Firm, Suzy Wong and Tired Fi Lick Weed in a Bush.
Miller’s signature tenor, staccato-style endings to the verses of his songs, energetic stage performances coupled with the chart successes of his songs, set him apart from his contemporaries and ultimately drew Inner Circle to hire him as a replacement lead singer in 1975.
Miller, who was described as a jovial young man, is notably remembered for his performance of Tenement Yard in the classic Jamaican film titled Rockers.
His performance at 1978’s One Love Peace Concert at the National Stadium in Kingston on April 22, 1978, was also historic, as while performing his set, Miller brazenly put on a policeman’s hat and lit up a gigantic ganja spliff, also known as a “big head spliff” much to the delight of the audience.
The Jamaica Observer’s Executive Editor Vernon Davidson, in 2018 noted that Miller died shortly after returning from Brazil with his friend Bob Marley. Both had travelled to the South American country to participate in the launch of a new office for their label, Island Records. According to a Gleaner article, “the story was that Jacob Miller had been driving and a piece of cane dropped and he picked it up, and subsequently crashed into a wall”.
“Although Keep On Knocking, released in 1974, is widely recognised as “Killer” Miller’s first recording success, I really started taking note of him when his All Night Till Daylight lit up the 1976 Festival Song Contest. The song was an instant hit with the public, even though it took second place to Freddie McKay’s Dance This Ya Festival,” Davidson wrote.
In January 2015, Inner Circle led a tribute to Miller at the Rebel Salute show in St. Ann, which featured a cameo performance by Chronixx, with whom they had produced an updated version of Tenement Yard dubbed Newscarrying Dread, which was a big radio hit in Jamaica.