In tribute to singer John Holt who died on October 20 in London, England, the Jamaica Observer presents ‘Holt a Day’, a daily feature leading up to his funeral, which is slated for November 15.

IN a 1995 interview with Reggae Report magazine, John Holt spoke about his early years in the Kingston community of Greenwich Town where he was born. He said his talent ‘was discovered’ by his mother, a housewife, who encouraged him to enter talent contests like the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour.

Holt was among the first artistes from Greenwich Town to make it big in music. The Paragons — the rocksteady group that first brought him to prominence — had recently split when he linked with another Greenwich Town native son to climb the charts.

The producer was Bunny Lee and the song was Stick by Me, released in 1971. It was not only a hit in Jamaica but also solidified Holt’s reputation in the United Kingdom where sound systems loved his sound since his years with The Paragons.

Holt, Delroy Wilson and Slim Smith were the heavyweight singers out of Greenwich Town in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Each had hit songs produced for Lee.

They set the pace for younger singers such as Earl Zero, Johnny Clarke and Cornel Campbell, who had mainstream success for Lee in the 1970s.

— Howard Campbell