Ken Boothe
Rocksteady elegance with enough soul to cross pop charts. Ken Boothe grew from Kingston sound systems and Studio One into “Mr Rock Steady,” then took “Everything I Own” to No. 1 in Britain.
Ken Boothe began singing around Denham Town and worked with Stranger Cole before launching his solo career at Studio One in the mid-1960s. Coxsone Dodd promoted him as “Mr Rock Steady,” and records such as “The Train Is Coming,” “Artibella,” “You’re No Good” and “Moving Away” established one of Jamaica’s most controlled and recognizable voices. His 1974 cover of “Everything I Own,” produced by Lloyd Charmers, reached No. 1 in Britain and became his greatest international crossover. Boothe’s career connects sound-system beginnings, rocksteady, soul interpretation and reggae-pop without reducing him to one overseas hit.