You were either a roots man or a ‘soul boy’ in Jamaica during the 1970s. Rasta and reggae appealed to the former while the latter were drawn to American R&B music.

That’s the scene Russell Thompkins Jr saw when he first visited Jamaica with The Stylistics over 40 years ago. During those working trips, he made many friends.

“Jamaica is a beautiful place, beautiful people. I used to hang out with Byron Lee and people like (singer) Barry Biggs who I know very well,” Thompkins, 71, told OBSERVER ONLINE recently.

Philadelphia-born Thompkins, who left The Stylistics in 2000, now leads Russell Thompkins Jr and The New Stylistics. They are headliners for Reggae Meets Soul, a March 18 show scheduled for the Coral Springs Center For The Performing Arts in South Florida.

The trio, which performed in Jamaica at the Jazz and Blues Festival in 2007, does songs made famous by The Stylistics during the 1970s when that group rode global charts with songs like ‘You’re A Big Girl Now’, ‘Betcha by Golly Wow’, ‘Stop, Look, Listen to Your Heart’ and ‘Break up to Make Up’.

Those hits were produced and co-written by Thom Bell, a Jamaica-born supremo whose vision defined the Philadelphia soul sound. He died in December at age 78.

“I helped make those songs so I never get tired of singing them for the old fans and young people who come to the shows. It’s a great feeling,” said Thompkins, whose patented falsetto led most of The Stylistics’ hits.

The Stylistics were just one of the American soul/R&B acts whose songs dominated Jamaican radio in the 1970s. Others who made their mark were The Spinners, The Chi Lites, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Blue Magic, The O’Jays, Dorothy Moore and Margie Joseph.

Many Jamaicans who came of age in that era now live in South Florida. They flock vintage shows such as Reggae Meets Soul which is being held for the third time.

Kashief Lindo, J C Lodge, Michael Russell and Yishka are the other acts on the event which is promoted by LTK Records.