June 3, 1940 – December 18, 1999
Jamaican singer Joe Higgs, known as “The Father of Reggae Music”, was one of the first local recording artists in Jamaica. His debut single, made with partner Roy Wilson, as the duo Higgs & Wilson, was “Oh Manny Oh,” and sold over 50,000 copies in Jamaica in the 1960s.
The first single led to him being signed by Edward Seaga, who later became Prime Minister of Jamaica during the 80s. Shortly before Higgs’ death, he said of Seaga, “He was my first manager, and we always got paid.”
Seaga arranged for Higgs to be booked on local shows alongside Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and other foreign stars. At the time of his death, he was working on an autobiography with a writer, and had been working on a cross-cultural project recorded at U2’s studio in Dublin, to be titled “Green on Black”, uniting Gaelic artists like Sharon Shannon and Donal Luney with Higgs. Joe Higgs died at a hospital in Los Angeles following several months of treatment for cancer.
Hits include:
- “Oh Manny Oh”
- “There’s a Reward for Me”