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The
Originator of "The Rock Stead ERA"
An internationally
renowned and award winning recording artiste, songwriter and
producer, this Forty year veteran of Jamaican popular music
continues to entertain audiences around the world today
without missing a beat.
Born in Kingston’s
Trenchtown district, Hopeton Lewis grew up in the Parish of
Westmoreland where he started his musical career singing in
church concerts. He returned to Kingston as a teen and he
formed his first group named The Regals. He recorded his
first record Shammy Back at Studio One the
very same night that another young and up-coming singer
named Bob Marley recorded Lonesome Feeling and
Joe Higg recorded There’s A Reward.
Ironically, the Mighty Vikings Band backed all three artists
and all went on to become key players in the evolution of
Jamaican popular music.
Mr. Lewis left Studio One
shortly after and signed with Federal Record Company where
he recorded a string of hits on the Merritone Label.
One night in 1966 while
in the studio, Mr. Lewis had difficulties following the
band’s upbeat ska tempo and requested that they “slow it
down a bit”. The new beat caught everyone’s attention and
one of the musicians remarked how the beat was “rocking
steady”. The name stuck and the rock steady era was born.
From this session, Mr. Lewis recorded Take It Easy,
Music Got Soul and Sounds and Pressure.
10,000 copies of
Take It Easy were sold and within a few weeks
it climbed to the top of the hit parade, followed by
Sounds and Pressure at number two, Music Got
Soul at number five and A Deh Pon Dem
in eleventh place. Most of these hits can be heard on
the first Hopeton Lewis album under the appropriate title
Take It Easy.
Leaving Federal Records,
Lewis moved over to Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle Label where he
continued to turn out hits on his own as well as with the
likes of U Roy, Phyllis Dillon, Pat Kelly and many others.
He also began to write for other artists and dabbled in the
production side of the business. It was during this time
that he recorded the smash 1970 Jamaican Festival hit,
Boom Shaka-Laka.
In 1971 he joined Byron
Lee’s Dynamic Sound Label
where he recorded the hit album Dynamic Hopeton Lewis.
His Grooving Out on Life was a smash hit
reaching gold status in 1973.
He also toured the world
as lead singer with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. By the
late 80s, he was ready to launch a new phase in his career
and he started his own record label Bay City Music in
Montego Bay. Under this label, Hopeton writes music and
promotes young and aspiring Jamaican artists.
Mr. Lewis has now
returned to his first love – gospel music and continues to
tour extensively throughout North America, the Caribbean and
Europe delivering the message of One Love….God’s Love.
In 1996, he released his debut gospel CD, "This
is Gospel" he has since released 12 other gospel CDs. On
these CD’s are some original songs written by him and
produced under his own recording label,
Rockstone Music Production and
Songs 4 Life Ministry.
To
date, he has performed with various gospel artistes
including, Candi Staton, Tramaine Hawkins, Alvin Slaughter
and Monty Alexander
to
name a few.
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