Alton Ellis
b. 1944, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Ellis, Jamaica's most soulful singer, celebrated 25 years in the business many years ago now and he is still making important records. In many ways he epitomizes the story of reggae vocalists: a start in the business at a very early age, massive popularity for a limited period, and a gradual slide from prominence while continuing to make excellent records purchased by discerning listeners. Apart from his songwriting abilities and voice Alton's particular gift was his ability to take R&B or soul songs and place them in a specifically Jamaican context and so make them ‘reggae songs’ rather than mere cover versions. Alton was born into a musical family, and he first recorded in the late '50s as one of a duo with singer Eddy Perkins for Randys and Studio One as Alton And Eddy. They enjoyed some success in the R&B style and Muriel was a massive hit for them. Perkins departed soon afterwards for a solo career and Alton continued with Studio One at Brentford Road as well as working with Coxsone Dodd's arch rival in the business Duke Reid at his Treasure Isle Studio in Bond Street, initially as Alton Ellis And The Flames. He came to undisputed prominence with the rise of rocksteady in 1965-66 when the ska beat slowed down and instrumental records became less important. This ‘cool’ music gave far greater freedom to singers’ to express themselves—they no longer had to battle against the frantic ska pace and ‘noisiness’, and Alton Ellis reigned supreme—his Get Ready—Rock Steady was one of the first records to actually use the term. Both Coxsone and Reid made many classic records with Alton as he moved between Brentford Road and Bond Street, but he recorded the definitive rock steady album for Treasure Isle—MR SOUL OF JAMAICA,while his Studio One output is collected on three albums all of which have their high points. 
In the late '60s and early '70s he went on to record for some of Jamaica's finest producers and he scored two huge hit records for Lloyd ‘The Matador’ Daley—Deliver Us and Back To Africa, while a cover version of Too Late To Turn Back Now that he made for Randys in the early '70s has remained a firm favourite with the reggae audience ever since. He toured the UK in the '60s as a vocalist for Studio One's Soul Vendors band and he returned to England in 1972 where he has based himself (on and off) ever since, making records that are never less than excellent. However, he is now sadly disillusioned with the reggae business. He accepts its machinations with a dignified resignation just as in the early days when his songs were covered and no royalties were forthcoming: ‘I was just proud that, whoever, would do an Alton Ellis song’. He was involved at the start of Janet Kay's career and a cover version of one of his greatest songs, I'm Still In Love With You, formed the basis for Althea And Donna's Uptown Top Ranking—a UK number 1 in 1978—but his records and live shows are now sadly few and far between.