The Gladiators
Country-rooted harmony, biblical parable and a rhythm section the singers could play themselves. The Gladiators made roots reggae feel hand-built rather than assembled around a frontman.
Albert Griffiths formed The Gladiators in the 1960s, with Clinton Fearon and Gallimore Sutherland joining the classic trio. Griffiths and Fearon were also working musicians, playing guitar and bass on Studio One sessions while the group recorded “Hello Carol,” “Bongo Red” and “Jah Jah Go Before Us.” Their 1976 Virgin album Trenchtown Mix Up gathered songs of labor, faith, freedom and Jamaican life into one of roots reggae’s essential band records. Unlike many vocal groups dependent on outside session players, The Gladiators developed a self-contained instrumental identity. Later generations of the Griffiths family carried the name after Albert withdrew from performing; he died in 2020.