Derrick Morgan worked with Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, and Jimmy Cliff in the rhythm and blues and ska genres, and he performed rocksteady and skinhead reggae.
13 Facts About Derrick Morgan
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In 1957, Morgan entered the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour, a talent show held at the Palace Theatre in Kingston.
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Derrick Morgan won with rousing impressions of Little Richard and, shortly after that, was recruited to perform around the island with the popular Jamaican comedy team Bim and Bam.
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In 1959, Derrick Morgan entered the recording studio for the first time.
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In 1960 Derrick Morgan became the only artist ever to fill the places from one to seven on the Jamaican pop chart simultaneously.
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Derrick Morgan had a major success in 1962 with "Forward March", a song celebrating Jamaican independence from Great Britain.
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In 1969 Derrick Morgan recorded the skinhead anthem "Moon Hop".
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Derrick Morgan remained popular in Jamaica and the UK into the early 1970s, and has lived primarily in the UK or the US since the late 1960s.
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In 2007, Derrick Morgan appeared on the bill at the annual Augustibuller music festival.
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Derrick Morgan continued to perform occasionally at ska revival shows across the world, often backed by the guitarist Lynn Taitt until the latter's death in 2010.
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Derrick Morgan retired from the music industry because of illness in the 2010s, but returned in 2016 to collaborate with Kirk Diamond on a remake of Morgan's song 1960s "Conqueror".
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Derrick Morgan headlined the Supernova International Ska Festival, in Fredericksburg, Virginia from 27 to 28 May 2017.
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Derrick Morgan released nearly 200 singles in the UK, and more than 250 in Jamaica.