157
Living legend Ken Boothe celebrates his 74th Birthday this week! The word legend gets bandied around a lot, however in Mr Boothe’s case it is wholly appropriate.
Born and raised in Denham Town, Kingston in 1948, Ken Boothe was quick to establish himself as one of the country’s premier singers, recording for such revered labels as Studio One, Beverley’s, Treasure Isle, Randy’s to name but a few. His big international breakthrough came in 1974 with a cover of David Gate’s ‘Everything I Own’ which, when released by Trojan in the U.K, crossed over into the Pop charts and stayed at the top for three weeks.
Recognised for his contribution to Jamaican music by being awarded the Order Of Distinction by the JA Government in 2003, Ken continues to record brilliant music and still sounds fantastic, his heartfelt, unique voice getting better with age, as featured recently on the outstanding ‘Inna De Yard’ documentary.
Happy Birthday Ken! Article and photo courtesy VP Records