Eric Donaldson
b. 11 June 1947, Jamaica, West Indies. Eric Donaldson, one of Jamaica's most accomplished falsetto voices, will forever be associated with the Jamaican Festival Song Competition. In particular one of his five winning entries in that contest, Cherry Oh Baby, which succeeded in 1971, and launched his career in reggae music. Donaldson attending school in Spanish Town before taking up a job as a house painter, singing in his spare time. In 1964 he cut some unreleased sides for Studio One in Kingston, and in the mid-60s he formed vocal group the West Indians, alongside Leslie Burke and Hector Brooks. A heap of sides for producer JJ Johnson produced one hit, Right On Time, in 1968. They also recorded for Lee Perry (Oh Lord) the following year, to scant reaction A name-change to the Killowatts and a succession of songs for J.J. Johnson and Lloyd Daley's Matador label (Slot Machine, Real Cool Operator) failed to ignite the fire of fame and the group split. 
In 1970 Donaldson cut some sides for Alvin Ranglin's GG label, the best of which was Lonely Night, but a trip to Dynamic Sounds studio for Never Going To Give You Up again led nowhere, although it did bode well for the future. In 1971, apparently as a last stand, he entered the Festival Song Competition with Cherry Oh Baby. By the day of the festival, he had enrolled the astute Tommy Cowan as manager, and was ready to sell the amazing 50,000 copies that the disc eventually shifted on Dynamic. Eric Donaldson had arrived. While it has not been a smooth ride from there, Donaldson has been periodically successful, cutting albums sporadically and recording a clutch of songs that are fondly remembered by reggae aficionados, notably Miserable Woman (1972), What A Festival (1973) and Freedom Street (1977). Donaldson apparently still loves the festival, winning in 1971, 1977, 1978, 1984 and 1993, and always seems ready to give his career a shot in the arm by appearing there. He now lives in Kent Village, Jamaica, where he runs the Cherry Oh Baby Go-Go Bar. The song itself is perennially popular, and should have made him very rich: UB40 and the The Rolling Stones both covered it, and the rhythm was incredibly popular in 1991, with over 30 new versions issued in Jamaica, including Donaldson's own update.