A life-size poster of Gregory Isaacs greeted attendees for the launch of The Cool Ruler: The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs, a biography by Peter Price. It took place on April 13 at Triple T Eatery in St Andrew.

The 388-page book covers the life of the acclaimed singer who died in October 2010 at age 60. It gives a detailed account of a career that produced numerous hit songs such as Soon Forward, Night Nurse and Love is Overdue.

Isaacs’ long battle with substance abuse is also documented by Price, a teacher at Kingston College.

Price told Observer Online that it took two years to complete his first book. The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs was actually released in the United Kingdom last May during the six-show run of The Cool Ruler: The Musical, a stage production based on Isaacs’ life.

June Isaacs, his wife, attended the Triple T Eatery event. She spoke about the importance of sharing the Gregory Isaacs story with new fans.

“I absolutely hope young Jamaicans will buy this book. It’s more than a biography, it’s a piece of history. Our young people need to see real examples of resilience, discipline, and purpose from someone who walked the same streets, faced the same system, and still made an impact,” she told Observer Online.

Price, a graduate of Mico Teachers College in Kingston, said he has been a fan of Isaacs since his youth in Bamboo, St Ann. Over the years, he followed the artiste’s career and recalls meeting him once at one of his shows.

At last week’s launch, he signed copies of his book which is endorsed by the Gregory Isaacs Foundation, an organisation that oversees projects involving the singer.

Colin Leslie, president of the Gregory Isaacs Foundation; University of the West Indies lecturer, Dr Dennis Howard, singer Nadine Sutherland, and broadcaster Donald Phipps, were some of the attendants at the launch of The Cool Ruler: The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs.