Ken Boothe

Ken Boothe was a stalwart of the Kingston 1960s reggae scene recording a plethora of albums and singles, many of which were hits in his native Jamaica. His major breakthrough as a reggae artist came in 1963 when he auditioned at the legendary Duke Reid's recording studio along with his neighbour Stranger Cole, one of Jamaica's early exponents of ska. The two men formed the duo Stranger and Ken and had a string of hits until 1966 when Boothe started his solo career. After signing to Studio One, Boothe had an immediate success with the single 'The Train Is Coming' backed by The Wailers - he later re-recorded this song in 1995 in conjunction with Shaggy for the film 'Money Train'. Best known for his 1974 UK hit, 'Everything I Own' which reached number one, Boothe only enjoyed one further foray into the UK charts when his single 'Crying Over You' which reached number 11. The subsequent collapse of Trojan Records and a split with producer Lloyd Charmers caused Boothe's career to falter and it never recovered the momentum which had been built up. He continued his recording career and in 2003 was awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government for his services to music.

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