Owen Gray, also known as Owen Grey (born 5 July 1939),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, is a Jamaican musician. His work spans the R&B,

ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...

, and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

eras of Jamaican music, and he has been credited as Jamaica's first home-grown singing star.Eder, Bruce " Owen Gray Biography, ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'', Macrovision Corporation

Biography

Gray was born in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

. He won his first talent contest at the age of nine, and by the age of twelve he was already appearing in public, playing drums, guitar, and keyboards. He attended the

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys' School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, still ru ...

and turned professional aged 19. Gray was a dynamic performer on stage, who could be gritty or suave as the song dictated.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, He was the first singer (of many) to praise a

sound system Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

on record, with his "On the Beach" celebrating

Clement Dodd Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...

's ''Sir Coxsone Downbeat'' system in 1959, one of the first releases on Dodd's Studio One label. He was one of the first artists to be produced by

Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell OJ (born 22 June 1937) is a Jamaican-British former record producer and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll Hall ...

, in 1960, and his "Patricia" single was the first record ever released by

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, Gray's first single, "Please Let Me Go", reached the top of the charts in Jamaica, and featured a guitar solo from Australian musician Dennis Sindrey who was a member of The Caribs, a studio band that played on many early Owen Gray recordings. The single also sold well in the United Kingdom, as did subsequent releases, prompting Gray to emigrate there in May 1962. He toured Europe in 1964, and by 1966 he was well known as a soul singer as well as for his ska songs. During 1966, he worked in the UK and Europe with The Krew, then in 1967 with Tony Knights Chessmen. In the rocksteady era, he recorded for producer Sir Clancy Collins AKA sir collins . His popularity continued throughout the 1960s, working with producers such as Clement Dodd,

Prince Buster Cecil Bustamente Campbell (24 May 1938 – 8 September 2016), known professionally as Prince Buster, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer. The records he released in the 1960s influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary ...

, Sydney Crooks, Arthur "Duke" Reid,

Leslie Kong Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was a Jamaican reggae producer. Early life Kong was born into a Chinese-Jamaican family. He had a "relatively comfortable upbringing" and attended St. George's College in Kingston. Career ...

, and

Clancy Eccles Clancy Eccles (9 December 1940 in Dean Pen, St. Mary, Jamaica – 30 June 2005 in Spanish Town, Jamaica)Katz was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer, songwriter, arranger, promoter, record producer and talent scout. Known mostly for his early re ...

, including work as a duo with

Millie Small Millicent Dolly May Small Order of Distinction, CD (6 October 1947 – 5 May 2020) was a Jamaican singer who is best known for her international hit "My Boy Lollipop" (1964). The song reached number two in both the UK Singles Chart, UK and ...

, with songs ranging from ska to ballads. He continued to record regularly, having a big hit in 1968 with "Cupid". His 1970 track "Apollo 12" found favour with the early

skinhead A skinhead or skin is a member of a subculture that originated among working-class youth in London, England, in the 1960s. It soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working-class skinhead movement emerging worldwide i ...

s, and in 1972 he returned to Island Records, recording reggae versions of

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

' "Tumblin' Dice" and

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

's "Jealous Guy", although they met with little success. During this period, he regularly had releases on Pama and Pioneer Internacional label, Camel Records, and one single on Hot Lead Records. He had greater success in Jamaica, however, with "Hail the Man", a tribute to Emperor

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

, which was popular with the increasing

Rastafari Rastafari is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion. There is no central authori ...

following. In 1978, "This is Reggae", a song he co-wrote with

Raymond Morrison The Ramong Sound was a British R&B, soul and ska band, active from 1965 to 1966. Background The Ramong Sound was a London-based outfit, that featured two black lead singers doing Sam & Dave styled duets, one of them being Raymond Morrison (ak ...

and Tamara Edwards was released on Morrison's

Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...

label. Morrison and Edwards comprised the

Ram & Tam The Ramong Sound was a British R&B, soul and ska band, active from 1965 to 1966. Background The Ramong Sound was a London-based outfit, that featured two black lead singers doing Sam & Dave styled duets, one of them being Raymond Morrison ( ...

duo who had a hit with "

Will You Love Me Tomorrow "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was first recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles for their album '' Tonight's the Night''; released as a singl ...

".''Music Week'', November 10, 1979
Page 47 DISCS, RAM & TAM New Single "WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW" in the reggae charts at no. 32
/ref> Gray spent a short time living in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

before returning to Jamaica where he turned his hand to

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...

, working with producer

Bunny Lee Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...

, and achieving considerable success. In the 1980s relocated to Miami. He has continued to release new material regularly, often concentrating on ballads and

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

Discography

Albums

*Owen Gray ''Hit After Hit After Hit- Sydney Crooks (Pioneer Internacional)'' *''Owen Gray Sings'' (1961) Starlite (also

in Jamaica) *''Cupid'' (1969) *''Forward on the Scene'' (1975) Third World *''Fire and Bullets'' (1977)

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

*''Turning Point'' (1977) Venture *''Dreams of Owen Gray'' (1978) Trojan *''Battle of the Giants Round 1'' (1983) Vista Sounds (with Pluggy Satchmo) *''Oldies But Goodies'' (1983) Vista Sounds (split with

Delroy Wilson Delroy George Wilson CD (5 October 1948 – 6 March 1995) Greene, Jo-Ann, " Delroy Wilson Biography, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer. Wilson is often regarded as Jamaica's first child s ...

) *''Max Romeo Meets Owen Gray at King Tubby's Studio'' (1984)

Culture Press Culture Press is an independent record label from UK specialized in Jamaican music. It was founded in 1984 in UK by Enzo Hamilton with Webster Shrowder and was relocated, in 1987, to Paris, France. LP Discography *VSLP5000 – Bob Marley – ...

(with

Max Romeo Maxwell Livingston Smith (22 November 1944 – 11 April 2025), known professionally as Max Romeo, was a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording musician who achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. He had several ...

) *''Little Girl'' (1984) Vista Sounds *''Owen Gray Sings Bob Marley'' (1984) Sarge *''This is Owen Gray'', Pama *''Room at the Top'' (1986) World Enterprise *''Let's Make a Deal'' World Enterprise *''Watch This Sound'' (1986) Sky Note *''Stand By Me'' (1986) Hitbound *''Prince Buster Memory Lane'' (1986) Phill Pratt *''Instant Rapport'' (1989) Bushranger *''Ready Willing and Able'' (1989) Park Heights *''None of Jah-Jah's Children Shall Ever Suffer'' (198?) Imperial *''Living Image'' (1996) Genesis Gospel Singers *''Out in the Open'' (1997) VP *''The Gospel Truth vol 1'' Bushranger *''Something Good Going On'' Bushranger *''Gospel Truth, vol. 2'' (1997) Jet Star *''Derrick Morgan and Owen Gray'' (1998) Rhino (with

Derrick Morgan Derrick Morgan OD (born 27 March 1940)Walters, Basil (2012)A New Day – Songs heralding JA’s Independence", ''Jamaica Observer'', 3 June 2012, retrieved 3 June 2012 is a Jamaican musical artist who was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. He w ...

) *''True Vibration'' (1998) Jet Star *''Do You Still Love Me'' (1998) First Edition *''The Gospel Truth vol. 3'' (1999) Bushranger *''On Drive'' (2000) Jet Star *''Better Days'' (2002) Worldsound *''Let's Start All Over'' (2003) Jet Star *''Jesus Loves Me'' (2004) True Gospel *''Baby It's You'' (2005) Worldsound *''Mumbo Jumbo'' (2005) Revenge *''Miss Wire Waist'' -Pioneer Internacional (Sydney Crooks) *''Excellence'' (????), Bushranger *''Jamaica's First Homegrown Star'' (2020) *''Owen Gray - Little Girl + Hit After Hit After Hit'' (2020) *''Owen Gray - Singles'' 1969 - 1972 (2020)

Compilation albums

*''Hit After Hit After Hit'' (1998) First Edition Pioneer Internacional *''Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 2'' Pioneer Internacional *''Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 3 Pioneer Internacional'' *''Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 4'' (198?) Pioneer Internacional *''Sly & Robbie Presents Owen Gray on Top'' (1994) Rhino *''Memory Lane Vol. 1'' (2000) Sydney Crooks (Pioneer Internacional) *''Shook, Shimmy And Shake: The Anthology'' (2004) Trojan

References

External links

*Peter I (2004)
A Question of Recognition – Interview with Owen Gray
, ''Reggae Vibes''
Owen Gray
at ''Roots Archives'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Owen 1939 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians Bamboo Records artists Island Records artists Trojan Records artists Hawk Records (UK label) artists People educated at Alpha Boys School