Harry J. All Stars

Harry J. All Stars had an ever-evolving line-up, but the constant was the titular Harry J, born Harry Zephaniah Johnson on July 6, 1945 in Jamaica. He started as a bass player before spending a few years out of the music business. In the late 60s he became a record producer, formed his own studio, and became one of the first musicians to record and release reggae music to the world at large. He issued a string of singles ’68 and ’69 including ”The Liquidator”, an instrumental track that struck the fancy of English listeners and went top 10 in the UK. He quickly through together an album, Liquidator, that leaned heavily on instrumental versions of pop and reggae songs. The skinhead subculture was forming at this time, and their adoption of reggae and ska sounds led to the song being re-released in 1980 when that music gained mainstream success in Britain and it reached number 42 on this second trip up the charts. Harry J. would become an institution in the Jamaican reggae scene, producing and collaborating with such famous acts as The Heptones, The Melodians, and Johnny Nash. He passed away on April 3, 2013 from complications brought on by diabetes.

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