February was Black History Month in the United States. The Jamaica Observer has published a series of stories looking at African-American artistes who have influenced Jamaican music. The series closes with singer/songwriter Jessie Belvin.

By Norman Richmond

Contributor

THE legendary singer Etta James was high on Jesse Belvin. James bluntly called Belvin, “The most gifted of all…even now I consider him the greatest singer of my generation. Rhythm and blues rock and roll, crooner, you name it. He was going to be bigger than Sam Cooke, bigger than Nat Cole.”

Belvin was killed along with his manager/wife, Jo Ann, on February 6, 1960 in Hope, Arkansas, the hometown of future United States President Bill Clinton.

He was only 27 and his wife, 25. Belvin was born in San Antonio, Texas and moved with his family to California at the age of five. He was a prolific songwriter who wrote Rhythm and Blues classics like Earth Angel, Girl of My Dreams and Goodnight My Love.

Belvin had a huge impact on Jamaican music. According to musicologist Bunny Goodison, who hosts the weekly Rhythms programme on Hot 102 FM, Belvin was huge in Jamaica.

During the 1950s, in Jamaica like the rest of world, rock and roll by white artistes was king.

However, singers like Jesse Belvin and Johnny Ace ruled the sound systems with Goodnight My Love, Earth Angel, Girl of My Dreams, My Desire, Dream Girl and Sugar Doll.

The Penguins hit Earth Angel was huge in Jamaica and it is rumoured that an 11-year-old Barry White played piano on the session that produced this song. Rapper 50 Cent has a popular reggae mix island style of it.

Jamaican record collectors in Toronto, Miami, London and New York treasure the recordings of Belvin whose songs have been covered by the giants of ska and reggae.

Girl of My Dreams has been recorded by John Holt and Sly and Robbie, featuring Glen Ricks. The Blues Busters and Alton Ellis and others have also covered Belvin’s work.

Jamaicans love artistes like Fats Domino, Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, The Drifters and The Impressions who all visited the island during their heyday in the 1960s.

James, who died recently, was one of Belvin’s staunchest defenders. She maintained that he should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She had this to say about Belvin in her book, Rage To Survive, which she co-wrote with David Ritz:

“Part of me is thrilled to be recognised, but another part resents the lily-white institutions that sends down its proclamations from on high.

They decide who is rock and roll and who isn’t; they decide who was important and who wasn’t. Man, I grew up with some cats who should have been inducted years ago — Jesse Belvin and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson to name two.”

* Norman Richmond is an American writer.