Rocksteady legend Derrick Harriott has died – the singer and producer was 87
The Jamaican helped shape ska, rocksteady and early reggae – as the singer of 'The Loser', with his Crystal label and as producer for Dennis Brown and Big Youth.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Jamaican singer and producer Derrick Harriott has died. According to The Gleaner, he died at home at around 1 am last Saturday, 24 October, aged 87. Dorrel Mattocks, who runs the Derrick Harriott Music Store in St Andrew, told the paper that Harriott had been ill and in and out of hospital, and had recently returned home.
Born in Kingston on 6 February 1939, Harriott co-founded the vocal group The Jiving Juniors in 1958, who had local hits such as 'Lollipop Girl' and 'Over the River'. In 1962 he launched a solo career and his own label, Crystal; his signature song is 'The Loser'. According to Clash, he sang soul-style rocksteady hits in the late sixties and was a club favourite in the UK.
As a producer, Harriott helped shape early reggae and dub: he recorded early sessions at King Tubby's studio and produced Dennis Brown, Big Youth, The Ethiopians, Keith & Tex and The Kingstonians, among others. Jamaica awarded him the Order of Distinction in 2009, and in 2019 he received the JaRIA Lifetime Achievement Award.