William Robinson Clarke was a famous World War I airman. He was the first Black pilot to fly for the United Kingdom. Clarke was born in Kingston, Jamaica on October 4, 1895 to Eugenia Clarke. Jamaica was a which British colony at the time. World … Read MoreWilliam Robinson Clarke (1895-1981)
Composer, lyricist, vocalist OMI was born Omar Samuel Pasley on September 3, 1986, in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica, to Kenroy Pasley, a musician, and Rachel Pasley. Omi is the youngest of four children, and his early education began at May Pen Primary School in 1992. … Read MoreOMI (1986- )
The legendary Jamaican ska and reggae group, Toots and the Mayhils was founded by Frederick Nathaniel “Toots” Hibbert, born on December 8, 1942. He teamed with Henry “Raleigh” Gordon, born in 1945, and Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias, born 1946 to form a Reggae trio in Kingston, … Read MoreToots and the Maytals (1962-2020)
Reggae composer/vocalist, activist Peter Tosh was born Winston Hubert McIntosh (named after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill) on October 19, 1944, in Westmoreland, the westernmost parish of Jamaica, to James McIntosh and Alvera Coke. He was abandoned by both parents and reared by an aunt … Read MorePeter Tosh (1944-1987)
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
The Philadelphia International Records house band, MFSB (“Mother Father Sister Brother”), was initially an all-male multicultural R&B ensemble comprising more than thirty resident studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios. They played the music and occasionally sang backup with many soloists and groups, including … Read MoreMFSB (1972-1985)
Orville Richard Burrell, whose stage name is Shaggy, was born October 22, 1968 in Kingston, Jamaica. The Jamaican-American is a reggae musician, singer, DJ, and actor known for his hit songs “It Wasn’t Me,” “Boombastic,” “Oh Carolina,” and other singles. Nominated for seven Grammy Awards, … Read MoreShaggy/ Orville Richard Burrell (1968- )
Professional bare-knuckle boxer Peter Jackson, better known as the Black Prince and Peter the Great, was born on July 3, 1861, in Water Gut, Christiansted, Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) to Peter Jackson Sr., a warehouseman from Montego Bay, Jamaica. Information regarding … Read MorePeter Jackson (1861-1901)
Tacky’s War, also known as Tacky’s Rebellion, was an uprising among Jamaica Akan enslaved people from Ghana that occurred in St. Mary Parish, Jamaica, against the British from 1760 to 1761. Other ethnic groups from Ghana including the Akyem, Nzema, Fanti, and Ashanti took part … Read MoreTacky’s War (1760-1761)
Johnny Kemp was an R&B singer best known for his 1988 song “Just Got Paid.” He was born in Nassau, Bahamas, on August 2, 1959. His earliest musical experiences came in 1972 when Kemp began performing in local Nassau nightclubs. In 1979, Kemp moved to … Read MoreJohnny Kemp (1959-2015)
