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Bob Andy

In the late sixties, the songs of Bob Andy raised social consciousness in Jamaican music to a new level, profoundly influencing its future development. After leading the Paragons vocal group in the early sixties, Andy cut a series of seminal classics for Coxson Dodd, most of which were ultimately assembled on the quintessential ‘Bob Andy Songbook’ album. In 1968, he left Dodd’s employ to work with a variety of producers, including Harry Johnson for whom he recorded a version of Nina Simone’s ‘Young, Gifted & Black’, on which he was partnered by Marcia Griffiths. The recording went on to become a huge European hit (peaking at number 5 in the UK) and in 1971 Andy produced the duo’s second British chart entry, ‘Pied Piper’ (number 11).

After further international hits failed to materialise, he and Griffiths decided to concentrate on solo projects, with Andy quickly re-establishing his credentials, with the magnificent ‘Fire Burning’ among his subsequent works. In 1976, he re-united with his former partner to record the album, ‘Kemar’ (later renamed ‘Really Together’), after which he cut the, ‘Lots Of Love And I’ LP for Sonia Pottinger’s High Note label. Later in the decade,  he affirmed his acting abilities when he made his screen debut in the film, ‘Children Of Babylon’ and after a period away from the music business, launched his own I-Anka label in 1983.

In recent years Bob Andy’s output has been sporadic, although occasional glimpses of his genius are apparent in such works as his 1997 LP, ‘Hanging Tough’. In October 2006, he was accorded Jamaica’s ‘Order of Distinction’ for his outstanding contribution to the development of Reggae music. Few have been more deserving of such an honour.

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