Hopeton Lewis

Hopeton Lewis
Hopeton Lewis
Born	3 October 1947; Kingston, Jamaica
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Died	4 September 2014 (aged 66); Brooklyn, New York City, U.S
Genres	Rocksteady, reggae
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1960s–2014
Website	www.songs4lifeministry.com

Hopeton Lewis (3 October 1947 – 4 September 2014) was a Jamaican born singer of rocksteady and reggae, an arranger, and radio music presenter.

Biography

Lewis was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He sang in church from an early age, and started performing as a youth, forming a singing group called the Regals.^[1] By the mid-1960s, he began recording and had one of the earliest rocksteady hits with "Take It Easy" in late 1966.^[2]^[3] The track was recorded with Lynn Taitt and the Jets, and is regarded as one of the first rocksteady singles.^[4] He had several more Jamaican hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the first 'herb' song ever recorded there, "Cool Collie".^[3] He worked for Duke Reid as an arranger and backing vocalist, and won the Festival Song Contest in 1970 with "Boom Shaka Lacka".^[2]^[3] He began working as a singer with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, and in 1971 had a hit with "Grooving Out On Life".^[4]

Lewis continued to release records, but his success after the early 1970s was limited. Lewis released This Is Gospel in 1996 on his own label, Bay City Music, founded in the 1980s. Much of his later work was in the gospel genre, including Reaching Out to Jesus (2000).^[1]

He lived the later period of his life in Brooklyn, New York, where he presented a show on Grace Deliverance Radio.^[5]

Lewis died on 4 September 2014 at his home in Brooklyn, aged 66, after suffering kidney failure.^[5]^[6]

The Disciples roots reggae and dub musicians have a record label entitled Boom Shaka Laka, named in honour of, and inspired by Hopeton Lewis' song (as well as by Jah Shaka and reggae culture and history in general). The Disciples also wrote a highly influential roots reggae fanzine called Boom Shaka Laka, also named after the Hopeton Lewis record. The author, Lol Bell-Brown ( who works for Dub Vendor ) named the magazine after the Hopeton Lewis classic song, Boom-Shacka-Lacka. The first issue was released in 1988 and over the four following years the magazine became one of the most important publications to cover, for the time, the current roots scene as well as classic roots records. There were 11 issues released of which all are sought after collectors items.

Albums

Take It Easy (1968), Merritone
Grooving Out On Life (1971), Dynamic Sounds/Trojan
Dynamic Hopeton Lewis (1974), Dragon
All Night Bubblin' (1985), Boss
Love, Life and Music (1997), Songs 4 Life
Reaching Out to Jesus (2000), Orchard
Caribbean Gospel Jubilee (2000), Rockstone
Inner Peace (2001), Songs 4 Life
A Holy Christmas (2002), Songs 4 Life
Love Life & Music (2007), Quartz
Hopeton Lewis Sings Home Coming Classics (2007), Songs 4 Life
Hymns (2007), Songs 4 Life
This Is Gospel (2008), Sun Moon & Stars
Worship (2008), Songs 4 Life
Lay Your Hands on Me Jesus (2008), Songs 4 Life
Love Ballads Vol. One (2008), Rockstone
Praise and Worship (2008), Songs 4 Life
The Inspirational Hopeton Lewis
Country Gospel (2008), Songs 4 Life
Healing: 42 Years of Music (2009), Songs 4 Life
All Island Gospel Revival, Songs 4 Life
Voice of Thanksgiving, Songs 4 Life
Song's of Faith (2013). Songs 4 Life/VP
De Word Through Music (2014), Songs 4 Life/VP

Compilations

Classic Gold Collection (1998), Rockstone
Take It Easy: Rock Steady Reggae (1999), K&K/VP
40 Years: Happy Birthday: Celebrating 40 Years of Music (2008), Songs 4 Life

References

^ ^a ^b Allmusic.com biography - accessed August 2008
^ ^a ^b Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9
^ ^a ^b ^c Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide To Reggae", Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4
^ ^a ^b "Unsung: Take It Easy with Hopeton Lewis", Jamaica Observer, 30 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012
^ ^a ^b Campbell, Howard (2014) "Singer Hopeton Lewis is dead Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014
^ Campbell, Howard (2014) "Hopeton Lewis Grooved on Life", Jamaica Observer, 7 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014