16 Facts About Ken Boothe

Kenneth George Boothe OD was born on 22 March 1948 and is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre.

Ken Boothe attended Denham Primary Elementary School and during this period developed an interest in music after receiving encouragement from his eldest sister, Hyacinth Clover, who was an established vocalist.

Ken Boothe cites singer Owen Gray as a major influence, particularly after hearing Gray perform the Leiber and Stoller rhythm and blues version of the 1920s blues standard, "Kansas City Blues", written by E L Bowman and notably performed by Jim Jackson in 1927.

Ken Boothe recorded material for Phil Pratt and Sonia Pottinger the same year.

Ken Boothe had almost immediate success with songs including "The Train Is Coming", the first, ska version, of later reggae song You're No Good with Soulettes on B-side, and "Lonely Teardrops".

Ken Boothe was promoted as "Mr Rock Steady" by Dodd during this period.

Many of Ken Boothe's songs have been reused in one way or another.

Ken Boothe continued to record for Dodd until 1970, when he switched to producer Leslie Kong's Beverley's Records and reggae, where his success continued with hits such as "Freedom Street" and "Why Baby Why".

Under a new direction from record producer Lloyd Charmers, Ken Boothe released "Everything I Own" on Trojan Records, which reached Number One in the UK Singles Chart in 1974.

Ken Boothe had one more hit in the UK Singles Chart during the 1970s, "Crying Over You", which made No 11, with Trojan Records' collapse and a split with Charmers losing much of the momentum built up by his two hits.

Ken Boothe recorded a reggae version of the standard "When I Fall in Love" which was released in 1974 on the Studio One label.

In 1978, along with Dillinger, Leroy Smart, and Delroy Wilson, Ken Boothe was referenced by lyricist Joe Strummer in the Clash's song, " In Hammersmith Palais".

Ken Boothe reunited with Charmers in the late 1970s when a revived Trojan Records released the albums Blood Brothers and Who Gets Your Love, but the reunion proved to be short-lived.

Ken Boothe continued to record during the 1980s and had a few hits during 1986 and 1987.

In more recent times, Ken Boothe has recorded for Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, King Jammy, Pete Weston, Jack Ruby, Hugh "Red Man" James, Castro Brown and Tappa Zukie.

Ken Boothe was awarded the Order of Distinction for his contribution to Jamaican music by the Jamaican government in 2003.