Slim Smith

• Genre: Rock Steady

About

A naturally gifted singer, Slim Smith is fondly remembered as one of Jamaica's greatest singers. He first came to prominence as a teenager when he scored several hits with the vocal Rock Steady group the Techniques. Obviously influenced by American Soul music and Curtis Mayfield in particular, Smith became known as a solo artist in the late '60s, singing inspired love songs with a gospel-like fervor. His voice never falls flat and his easy delivery brims with confidence, joy, and pain simultaneously. Later in his career he developed a political awareness, paying homage to the civil rights movement with "Stand Up and Fight" and "The Time Has Come." A prolific recording artist, his career ended tragically when he bled to death after breaking a window at the young age of 25 in 1973.

- Robert Leaver