Owen Gray

Gray was born in Jamaica on 5 July 1939. He won his first talent contest at the age of nine, and by the age of 12 he was already appearing in public, playing drums, guitar, and keyboards. He was the first singer (of many) to praise a sound system on record, with his "On the Beach" celebrating Clement Dodd's 'Sir Coxsone Downbeat' system in 1959, one of the first releases on Dodd's Studio One label. Gray's first single, "Please Let Me Go", reached the top of the charts in Jamaica, and featured a guitar solo from Australian musician Dennis Sindrey who was a member of The Caribs, a studio band that played on many early Owen Gray recordings. The single also sold well in the United Kingdom, as did subsequent releases, prompting Gray to emigrate there in May 1962. Morrison and Edwards comprised the Ram & Tam duo who had a hit with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Gray spent a short time living in New Orleans before returning to Jamaica where he turned his hand to roots reggae, working with producer Bunny Lee, and achieving considerable success. In the 1980s relocated to Miami. He continued to release new material regularly, often concentrating on ballads and gospel music. Gray died on 20 July 2025, at the age of 86. ==Discography==

Albums • Owen Gray Hit After Hit After Hit- Sydney Crooks (Pioneer Internacional) • Owen Gray Sings (1961) Starlite (also Island Records in Jamaica) • Cupid (1969) • Forward on the Scene (1975) Third World • Fire and Bullets (1977) Trojan • Turning Point (1977) Venture • Dreams of Owen Gray (1978) Trojan • Battle of the Giants Round 1 (1983) Vista Sounds (with Pluggy Satchmo) • Oldies But Goodies (1983) Vista Sounds (split with Delroy Wilson) • ''Max Romeo Meets Owen Gray at King Tubby's Studio'' (1984) Culture Press (with Max Romeo) • Little Girl (1984) Vista Sounds • Owen Gray Sings Bob Marley (1984) Sarge • This is Owen Gray, Pama • Room at the Top (1986) World Enterprise • ''Let's Make a Deal'' World Enterprise • Watch This Sound (1986) Sky Note • Stand By Me (1986) Hitbound • Prince Buster Memory Lane (1986) Phill Pratt • Instant Rapport (1989) Bushranger • Ready Willing and Able (1989) Park Heights • ''None of Jah-Jah's Children Shall Ever Suffer'' (198?) Imperial • Living Image (1996) Genesis Gospel Singers • Out in the Open (1997) VP • The Gospel Truth vol 1 Bushranger • Something Good Going On Bushranger • Gospel Truth, vol. 2 (1997) Jet Star • Derrick Morgan and Owen Gray (1998) Rhino (with Derrick Morgan) • True Vibration (1998) Jet Star • Do You Still Love Me (1998) First Edition • The Gospel Truth vol. 3 (1999) Bushranger • On Drive (2000) Jet Star • Better Days (2002) Worldsound • ''Let's Start All Over'' (2003) Jet Star • Jesus Loves Me (2004) True Gospel • ''Baby It's You'' (2005) Worldsound • Mumbo Jumbo (2005) Revenge • Miss Wire Waist -Pioneer Internacional (Sydney Crooks) • Excellence (????), Bushranger • ''Jamaica's First Homegrown Star'' (2020) • Owen Gray – Little Girl + Hit After Hit After Hit (2020) • Owen Gray – Singles 1969 – 1972 (2020) Compilation albums • Hit After Hit After Hit (1998) First Edition Pioneer Internacional • Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 2 Pioneer Internacional • Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 3 Pioneer Internacional • Hit After Hit After Hit Vol 4 (198?) Pioneer Internacional • Sly & Robbie Presents Owen Gray on Top (1994) Rhino • Memory Lane Vol. 1 (2000) Sydney Crooks (Pioneer Internacional) • Shook, Shimmy And Shake: The Anthology (2004) Trojan ==References==