This is the third in the Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk’s series for Reggae Month titled Princess Black.

SHE is that triple threat. Jamaican singer, actress and model Grace Jones has blazed a trail since the 1970s.

The statuesque Jones, who continues to turn heads at 73 years old, was born in Spanish Town and migrated to the United States at age 13 where she began her modeling career in the 1970s.

She graced the covers of the industry’s top publications and walked the runways for many leading fashion houses.

Her androgynous look found favour with fashion labels, including Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo. She worked with top-tier photographers like Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, covering magazines like Elle and Vogue.

In 1977, Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, and became a star of New York City’s Studio 54 disco scene. In the early 1980s, she moved towards a new wave style that drew on reggae, funk, post-punk, and pop music.

Her albums include Warm Leatherette (1980), Nightclubbing (1981), and Slave to The Rhythm (1985). During this period, she worked with Sly and Robbie on some of her biggest hit songs including My Jamaican Guy and Pull up to The Bumper.

Jamaicans are most familiar with Pull Up To The Bumper which was covered by Patra in the 1990s.

Jones has had several film roles. They include James Bond — A View To Kill, opposite Roger Moore; Conan The Destroyer – with Arnold Schwarzwenegger; and Boomerang which starred Eddie Murphy.

In 2018, Jones added the Order of Jamaica to her accomplishments. She noted that her love for Jamaica has significant influence on her career, especially her singing.

“I have a hit song or a classic one called My Jamaican Guy, and I still record. I did some of that recording in Port Antonio at a place called Alligator Head. There is also a song called Shenanigans, which is about growing up in Jamaica,” she said.