A Legend Before A Legend: Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dacres was born on July 16, 1943 to a musical family in Kingston with his brother on the Pioneer while his sister Pauline sang with Derrick Morgan on “You Never Miss Your Water.” Though Desmond sang in church, singing was not his main course in his younger years. He worked as a welder after his parents died while he was young. His workmates encouraged him to go back to singing. He hit off with big producers Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid in 1961, but with no success. He tried next with Leslie Kong where he clicked and was renamed Dekker for recording. Just before that, Leslie Kong had great success with Morgan and the Beverly’s label. Morgan then turned to be Dekker’s mentor and tried to look for the right songs for him.

“I ’ave Desmond Dekker in a Beverley’s fi two years straight before ’im sing a tune,” Morgan recalled. “Me an’ the man eat, we cook together, everything, but ’im never ’ave no tune.”

“Honour Your Father And Your Mother” was released in 1963. That first series of songs made Dekker labeled as the good boy in contrast to the “rude boys” coming form Jamaica. All songs were a hit. He also tried a Rasta piece with “Mount Zion”

Rocksteady surfaced in 1966 where Dekker found his place. The release of “007 (Shanty Town)” was an instant hit, which also linked the rhythm of James Bond, with Aces on the back up. This turned Dekker’s image from the respectful man to the rudest of rude. First tour in Britain followed after the album hit number 12 in the country.

Before Bob Marley took reggae into a new level in the international industry, Dekker Dekker long before brought the musc into global sound. His hits “Israelites,” “A It Mek” and “007 (Shanty Town),” paved the world to the sound of Jamaica.

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