Edward Archibald Lewis (10 April 1918– 29 February 1988) was a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n singer who was popular in Britain in the 1940s. Archie Lewis sang in choirs and was a Sunday school teacher before taking up singing as a career.Sunday School Teacher a Hit on BBC Parade
, ''

Baltimore Afro-American The ''Baltimore Afro-American'', commonly known as ''The Afro'' or ''Afro News'', is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the flagship newspaper of the ''AFRO-American'' chain and the longest-running Africa ...

'', 6 September 1947, p. 6. Retrieved 3 November 2012 Already one of the most popular singers in Jamaica, he migrated to Britain in 1942 to work in a munitions factory as part of the war effort, Mento Music
Retrieved 3 November 2013Bennett-Coverley, Louise (2006)

, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 8 August 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2013 and became the featured singer with Geraldo and his Orchestra, with whom he recorded.Neita, Hartley (2007)
The Soul That Is Jamaica
", ''

'', 1 December 2007. Retrieved 3 November 2013 He also appeared regularly on

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

. He had a "rich baritone voice" and specialised in romantic ballads.Paul Willetts, ''Members Only: The Life and Times of Paul Raymond'', Profile Books, 2010
/ref> He was one of the first black vocalists to sing solo in public performances in England, and toured widely with Geraldo and with

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

, as well as performing at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...

and at a

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

."This Day in Our Past": 26 February
Retrieved 3 November 2013Kingston Gleaner, "Canadian TV engagement for Archie Lewis", 7 March 1967
Retrieved 3 November 2013 For a time he was seen as one of Britain's most popular singers, and was known as "the

Crosby Crosby may refer to: Places ;Canada *Crosby, Ontario, part of the township of Rideau Lakes, Ontario *Crosby, Ontario, a neighbourhood in the city of Markham, Ontario ;England *Crosby, Cumbria *Crosby, Lincolnshire *Crosby, Merseyside **Crosby (UK ...

of the Caribbean". His version of "In the Land of Beginning Again", recorded in 1946, was one of the most popular songs of its time, and his recording of "

While the Angelus Was Ringing "While the Angelus Was Ringing" is a popular song, adapted from the Swiss song "Les trois cloches" (originally written in French by composer Jean Villard Gilles and lyricist Marc Herrand, subsequently rendered into English as "The Three Bells") by ...

", sung with the

Luton Girls Choir The Luton Girls Choir was an English vocal ensemble that performed between 1936 and 1977, and made popular radio broadcasts and recordings between the 1940s and 1960s. It was established and directed throughout its existence by Arthur Ernest Davi ...

in 1948, was reported to have sold over a million copies. After some time in Germany, Lewis returned to Jamaica in 1964 and performed in the island's leading hotels and clubs. In 1967, he was reported as being about to tour in Canada and the United States. He recorded three albums in Jamaica in the late 1960s and early 1970s: ''The Voice of Love'', ''In Jamaica'', and ''I'll Remember Jamaica''. Archie Lewis at Discogs.com
Retrieved 3 November 2013 He died in the

University Hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following is a l ...

Mona, Jamaica Mona is a neighbourhood in southeastern Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, Saint Andrew Parish, approximately eight kilometres from Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. A former sugarcane Sugar plantations in the Caribbean, plantation, it is the sit ...

, in 1988 at the age of 69.

Discography

Albums

*''The Voice of Love'' (1968), Hilary/WIRL *''In Jamaica'' (1972), Federal ;Compilations: *''I'll Remember Jamaica'' (1968), Federal *''Sincerely Yours'' (1982),

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

- Archie Lewis featuring Geraldo and his Orchestra *''A Voice to Remember!'' (2003), Good Music Record Co. *''Swing Low Sweet Chariot'' (2010), Cornerstone Media

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Archie 1988 deaths 20th-century Jamaican male singers Traditional pop music singers Jamaican LGBT singers 1918 births 20th-century Jamaican LGBT people 20th-century Jamaican singers