With his suit and his hat, Gregory Isaacs is the reggae " version" of a crooner…

He's the top representative of lover's rock, but through the years he's played all styles of jamaican folk.

Born in 1951 in Kingston Jamaica, Gregory Isaacs started to use his suave voice in the early r 70's and will quickly become an outstanding figure of the roots reggae while choosing, therefore, for a more ludic style, less mystical, than that developed by the toasters and singers of the time. This didnt' prevent him from joining the social fights with his words in the great tradition of reggae artists.

Gregory eventually meets enough success to make his own label, build his African Museum and a disc store with his fellow singer Errol Dunkey. But it is with international structures such as Frontline (subdivision of Virgin) that he will gain momentum, go repeatedly on tour finally become a reggae legend.

If he was already established since 1973/75 with records such as All I Have Is Love and In Person with Trojan, he will gear up at the encouter of Lee Perry who will perfect his sounds in his Black Ark Studio (cf Extra Classic in 1977).

It is wih the album Cool Ruler (Virgin, 1978, followed by Soon Forward into 79) which sends him to the Pantheon of lovers and will give his nickname…

Live rich in adventures (bambaklat went in prison), the following decade definitively exploses for him with albums like Night Nurse in 1982 with Island, Oh Deh the following year then Red Rose For Gregory or Private Beach Party in 1988 RAS for example.

He also carried out duets with its alter-ego Sugar Minott (Double Dose) and his friend Dennis Brown (Two Bad Superstars and No Contest) to which he will dedicate an album (Sings Dennis Brown).

Like most singers of his generation, he was stunned by the explostion of digital technologies and the new entertnainment styles it fathered. On top of that, his voice had since then lost a little of his suave…

But this " handicap" did not prevent him from signing albums under the responsibility of King Jammy (Turn Down The Lights), Steely & Clevie or Maffia & Fluxy precisely (Open The Door in 2004 with RAS).

Now in 2008 he is still a top attraction in all major reggae events where he is so big that he often just rushes in, sing a tune and rushes out to get his check... nobody takes that personally, they got to see Gregory Isaacs on top of his form after 40 years of an hectic career BIG UP PAPA!!