Owen Gray (1939 – 2025)
Pioneering Jamaican singer Owen Gray has sadly passed away on Sunday, 20th July, at the age of 86. Born on the 5th July 1939, Gray’s exceptional talents developed early, playing and performing on stage from when he was just nine years old. His talents were nurtured at Alpha Boys School, an institute that helped shape the cultural and musical identity of the island, thanks to their now world-renowned music programme, spearheaded by Sister Mary Ignatius Davies.
Gray’s earliest recordings came at the turn of the 60s, when Jamaican music was in its transformative period, shifting away from the American-influenced rhythm and blues into Ska, scoring hits on Blue Beat and Coxson Dodd’s Cariboo label as well as becoming one of the first artists to release music on Chris Blackwell’s Island imprint. During this time, Gray was introduced to a young singer by the name of Millie Small by Coxson Dodd, who encouraged Gray to tutor her on vocal tone and range. This culminated in a song called “Sugar Plum”, an island-wide smash hit that prompted Chris Blackwell to buy out Small’s contract from Coxson and produce one of the biggest-selling ska hits of all time, “My Boy Lollipop”.
After a run of popular singles in the early 60s, Gray found success in the UK, prompting him to emigrate and settle in London in May 1962 and in a career spanning six decades, he continued to record and perform his vast catalogue of ska, rocksteady, reggae, rhythm and blues, ballads and gospel music for generation upon generation of fans.
He will be sorely missed and fondly remembered. Our thoughts are with all his family and friends at this difficult time.