Gregory Isaacs, 1951–2010

With his velvet baritone and sharp suits, Gregory Isaacs—the “Cool Ruler”—brought romance to reggae, pioneering the subgenre known as “lovers rock.” Putting aside the Rastafarian struggle for justice that animated the songs of Bob Marley and others, Isaacs’ songs pleaded instead for love. The 1982 international club hit “Night Nurse”—“I don’t want to see no doc. I need attendance from my nurse around the clock”—positioned him for world stardom. But his six-month term in a Jamaican prison that year made it difficult to capitalize on the song’s success.

Born in a tough neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica, Isaacs grew up listening to “the soulful, romantic sounds of Sam Cooke and the Drifters” on his family’s rented radio, said the Los Angeles Times. After performing in teenage talent competitions, he made his first records in the 1960s with a “Motown-flavored vocal group.” He started his own record label, African Museum, in 1973, but also recorded for major labels like Virgin and Island. “The commercial success of his lovers rock established the sound as a dominant force in reggae.” A big star in Britain, Isaacs estimated he had released some 200 albums.

His police record was “almost as prolific as his discography, with over 50 reported arrests in his lifetime,” said Rolling Stone. When violence engulfed Jamaica in the late 1970s, Isaacs said he carried guns “just like you have a jacket to protect you from the cold.” Many arrests resulted from his drug use, said The Washington Post. Crack cocaine addiction caused him to lose his teeth, and hurt his voice.

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“He could sit at a piano and compose incredible tunes,” said Gary Himelfarb, who recorded Isaacs for his RAS Records label. “He was really brilliant.” The New York Times music critic Milo Miles once called Isaacs “the most exquisite vocalist in reggae,” describing his songs as “sensuous daydreams, escapes from tribulation that invite the listener along.” For his part, Isaacs said he liked “the kind of songs getting the girls dancing.”