John Kenneth Holt   CD   (11 July 1947 [1]   – 19 October 2014 [2] ) was a   reggae   singer and songwriter from   Jamaica   who first found fame as a member of   The Paragons , before establishing himself as a solo artist.

Biography [ edit ]

Holt was born in the   Greenwich Farm   area of   Kingston, Jamaica , in 1947. [3]   His mother Amy was a nurse. [4]   By the age of 12, he was a regular entrant in talent contests run at Jamaican theatres by   Vere Johns , winning 28 contests, some broadcast live on   Radio Jamaica . [3] [5] [6]   He recorded his first single in 1963 with "Forever I'll Stay"/"I Cried a Tear" for record producer   Leslie Kong , and also recorded a   duet   with   Alton Ellis , "Rum Bumper", for producer   Vincent "Randy" Chin . [5] [6] [7]

In 1965 Holt joined   Bob Andy , Garth "Tyrone" Evans, and Junior Menz in their group the Binders; Menz departed to be replaced by Howard Barrett and they changed their name to the Paragons. [7]   They initially recorded for   Clement "Coxsone" Dodd 's   Studio One   before cutting a succession of singles for   Duke Reid   at his Treasure Isle Studio in the   rocksteady   era of 1966–1968; They enjoyed a string of   hits , including "Ali Baba", "Tonight", "I See Your Face", and the Holt-penned " The Tide Is High " (later made famous by   Blondie   and also   covered   by   Atomic Kitten ). [8]   "Wear You to the Ball" was another of his hits with the Paragons, and it made the charts again when   U-Roy   (whom he had introduced to Duke Reid) recorded a   Deejay   version over it. [3]   With Andy having left early on, the departures of Barrett (in 1969) and Evans (in 1970), who had both won scholarships in the US, brought the group to an end. [3] [7]   During his time with the Paragons, he also recorded solo material for   Bunny Lee   ("Tonight"), and   Harry J . [5] [6]   He subsequently concentrated on his solo career, recording for   Prince Buster   ("Oh Girl", "Rain From the Skies"), Reid ("Stealing Stealing", "Ali Baba"), Dodd (including "Fancy Make-up", " A Love I Can Feel ", "Let's Build Our Dreams" and " OK Fred "),   Alvin Ranglin   ("Strange Things"), and   Phil Pratt   ("My Heart Is Gone"). [3]

By the early 1970s, he was one of the biggest stars of reggae, and his work with producer Lee was key to his success; [9]   "Stick By Me" was the biggest selling Jamaican record of 1972, one of a number of records recorded with Lee. [3] [5]   His 1973   Harry Mudie -produced album,   Time Is The Master , was successful, with orchestral arrangements recorded in London by   Tony Ashfield . [3]   The success of the string-laden reggae led to   Trojan Records   issuing a series of similarly arranged albums produced by Ashfield starting with the   1,000 Volts of Holt   in 1973, a   compilation   of Holt's reggae   cover versions   of popular hits (and later followed by similarly named releases up to the Lee-produced   3,000 Volts of Holt ).   1,000 Volts   spawned the UK   Top 10   hit " Help Me Make It Through the Night " (written by   Kris Kristofferson ), which peaked at number 6, [10]   and included covers of   Billy Joel 's " Just the Way You Are " and " Touch Me in the Morning " by   Diana Ross . [11]

He had success back in Jamaica in 1976 with "Up Park Camp" (on a reworking of   the Heptones ' "Get in the Groove" rhythm), and his success continued into the 1980s with tracks such as "Police in Helicopter" and "Fat She Fat", recorded with producer   Henry "Junjo" Lawes , and a standout appearance at the 1982   Reggae Sunsplash   festival. [3] [6] [7]   "Police in Helicopter" was a condemnation of the Jamaican government's crackdown on marijuana plantations. [12]   The cover to the album single pictured Holt growing locks and a beard, [13]   an indication of the increasing importance of   Rastafari   in his life. [3]   He continued to tour regularly, performed several times at Sunsplash in the 1990s, and performed in the United Kingdom with the   Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra , with a live album taken from these shows released in 2001.

In 2004 he was awarded the   Order of Distinction   (Commander Class) by the Jamaican government for his contribution to Jamaican music. [4] [14]

Holt's style, notably slower and more romantic than most of his contemporaries, is a recognisable forerunner of the   lovers rock   subgenre.

His song " Man Next Door " has been covered by numerous other reggae artists, including   Dennis Brown ,   UB40   and   Horace Andy . The latter sang in a more electronic vein for the   Massive Attack   album   Mezzanine .

Having been taken ill at the One Love Festival on 16 August, [15]   Holt died on 19 October 2014 in the   Wellington Hospital   in London. [2] [16] [17]   He had been diagnosed with   colon cancer   in June 2014. [18] [19]   He is survived by his wife Valerie, 12 children, and 25 grandchildren. [20]   His funeral took place on 17 November at   Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston , and featured performances by   U-Roy ,   The Silvertones ,   Tinga Stewart ,   Boris Gardiner ,   George Nooks ,   Luciano ,   Carlene Davis ,   Ken Boothe , and members of Holt's family, backed by   Lloyd Parks   and the We the People Band. He was buried at Dovecot Memorial Park. [21] [22]

Album discography [ edit ]

• A Love I Can Feel   (1971), Bamboo
• Like a Bolt   (1971), Treasure Isle
• OK Fred   (1972), Melodisc
• Holt   (1973), Jaguar
• Still in Chains   (1973), Trojan
• Pledging My Love   (1972), Jackpot/Trojan
• Time Is the Master   (1973), Moodisc
• Presenting the Fabulous John Holt   (1974), Magnet
• The Further You Look   (1974), Trojan
• Dusty Roads   (1974), Trojan
• Sings for I   (1974), Trojan
• A Love I Can Feel   (1974), Attack
• Don't Break Your Promise   (1974), Lord Koos
• Before the Next Tear Drop   (1976), Klik
• Up Park Camp   (1976), Channel One
• World of Love   (1977), Justice
• Channel One Presents the Magnificent John Holt   (1977), Channel One
• Roots of Holt   (1977), Trojan
• Showcase (New Disco Style)   (1977), Thunderbolt
• Holt Goes Disco   (1977), Trojan
• In Demand   (1978), Dynamic Sounds
• Let It Go On   (1978), Trojan
• Super Star   (1978), Weed Beat
• The Impressable John Holt (Disco Mix)   (1978), Harry J
• Peace in the Sun   (1978), Volt
• Just a Country Boy   (1978), Trojan
• Introspective   (1980), Dynamic Sounds
• My Desire   (1980), Jackpot
• Children of the World   (1981),   VP
• A1 Disco Showcase   (1981), Taurus
• Just the Two of Us   (1982), CSA
• Sweetie Come Brush Me   (1982), Volcano
• Gold   (1983), Creole
• Police in Helicopter   (1983),   Greensleeves /Arrival
• For Lovers and Dancers   (1984), Trojan
• Live in London   (1984), Very Good
• Pure Gold   (1985), Vista Sounds
• Wild Fire   (1985), Natty Congo/Tad's (with   Dennis Brown )
• Vibes   (1985), Leggo Sounds
• The Reggae Christmas Hits Album   (1986), Trojan
• From One Extreme to Another   (1986), Beta
• Time Is the Master   (1988), Creole
• Sweetie Come Brush Me – Greatest Hits   (1988), ROHIT
• Rock with Me Baby   (1988), Trojan
• If I Were a Carpenter   (1989)
• Why I Care   (1989), Greensleeves
• Reggae, Hip House, R&B Flavor   (1993)
• Reggae Peacemaker   (1993), House of Reggae
• All Night Long   (1997), MIL
• New Horizon   (1998), VP
• John Holt in Symphony with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra   (2001), Jet Star
• Born Free   (2001)
• Fist Full of Holt   (2009)

There have also been dozens of compilations of Holt's work, starting in the early 1970s with a   Greatest Hits   compilation from Studio One, and notably followed by the   1,000 Volts...   series on Trojan Records. [5]

DVDs [ edit ]

• John Holt in Symphony With the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra   (2003)
• John Holt & Freddie McGregor – Living Legends Live in Concert   (2011)

References [ edit ]

External links