Ken Boothe is crediting his popular track from 1974, Everything I Own, for giving him the boost and international success that he has had in his more than 50-year musical career.

Boothe, who was recently in Canada for a Black History Month performance, made the statement during an interview with Jamaica-born television journalist Dwight Drummond for the Canada Broadcasting Corporation, (CBC).

“When it comes to memory, this song made my career reach to a point in this world where I’m known in most countries. Not everybody will know who I am, but somebody will say, ‘You know Ken Boothe?’, and the person will say; ‘Oh yes —

Everything I Own’. I have to be thankful.”

Boothe’s version was a cover of the song originally penned by David Gates for the group Bread and had minor success when it was released in 1972.

The now 68-year-old Boothe recalled how he first heard the song. “I was in Canada. A friend, Paul Buchanan, who attended York University, would bring us here for shows. We were on the carpet in his apartment and he played an Andy Williams album for me and

Everything I Own was on the album. He then turned to me an said, ‘Ken, when you get back home do this song.’”

The track was produced by Lloyd Charmers and the recording featured Lloyd Parks on bass guitar, Paul Williams on drums, Willie Lindo on guitar, and Lloyd Charmers on organ, piano and percussion.

“I did Top of the Pops twelve times and each time it kept climbing up the charts until it reached number one. I got to knock shoulders with people like Gary Glitter, Elton John, and Hot Chocolate,” said Boothe in the CBC interview.

Everything I Own got to the top of the UK charts in October of 1974 and stayed there for three weeks.

Boothe had nothing but kind words for Canada and its people for their humanity.

“A lot of things are happening in this world. To me Canada is a compassionate country. The leaders are taking in a lot of refugees when a lot of other countries refuse them. Over the years I have been able to enjoy music. Music is love; it does not deal with race, creed and those kind of things. Music has no colour. Colour is not the answer, people is the answer. So it does not matter who you are as long as you are a human being,” Boothe related during the interview.

– Richard Johnson