Hopeton Lewis
Hopeton Lewis' rich baritone has had a profound impact on Jamaican music, and his mixture of gospel and soul elements helped set the template for early rocksteady. Born October 3, 1947, in Kingston, Lewis' mother died when he was two, and he rotated living with various aunts, uncles, and grandparents. By the age of six he was already singing in church, and singing is where he turned when he was left on his own at the age of 15. Lewis quickly formed his first singing group, the Regals, and his career course was set. Like many Jamaican singers, Lewis got his start at Studio One, but soon moved over to Ken Khouri's Federal Studios, where he recorded what is arguably the first rocksteady side, "Take It Easy," backed by Lynn Taitt & the Jets. The song was released on Winston Blake's Merritone label in 1966 and was a huge success. In the late '60s he worked as part of a duo with Glen Brown. His solo career really took off when he won the 1970 Festival Song Competition with the song "Boom Shacka Lacka," which he recorded for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, then moved over to Byron Lee's Dynamic Sound imprint for the album Groovin' Out on Life, which firmly established Lewis as an explosive singer and performer when it was released in 1973, followed quickly by a second album, The Dynamic Hopeton Lewis. Lewis started his own label, Bay City Music, in the late '80s and turned increasingly to gospel music, releasing This Is Gospel in 1996, followed by Reaching Out to Jesus in 2000. Since then Lewis stuck with gospel and has released a prolific series of albums, including Lay Your Hands on Me Jesus, Caribbean Gospel Jubilee, Inner Peace, Hopeton Lewis Sings Country Gospel, The Many Moods of Gospel, and The Inspirational Hopeton Lewis.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
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Classic Gold Collection
Reggae - Released by Rockatone Music on 25 Mar 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Take It Easy with the Rock Steady Beat
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on 26 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Everybody Rocking
Hopeton Lewis, Lynn Tait & The Jets
Reggae - Released by Merritone - Dub Store Records on 17 Jun 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Grooving out on Life
Reggae - Released by Merritone on 21 Nov 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Mighty Quinn
World - Released by Spirit of 69 Records on 17 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Music Got Soul
Reggae - Released by Merritone - Dub Store Records on 21 Aug 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grooving Out On Life
Rock - Released by Charly Records on 28 Mar 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Inner Peace
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on 3 Jul 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grooving Out On Life
World - Released by Charly Records on 28 Mar 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rock a Shacka
Reggae - Released by Merritone - Dub Store Records on 10 Jun 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Let Me Come on Home
Reggae - Released by Merritone - Dub Store Records on 12 Jul 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love, Life and Music
Reggae - Released by SONGS 4 LIFE on 27 Oct 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Ballads Vol. One
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on 6 Jul 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Welcome to My House, Vol. 1
Reggae - Released by Lewis International Production on 9 Sep 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lay Your Hands on Me Jesus
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on 31 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Healing: 42 Years of Music
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on 8 Dec 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Song's of Faith
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on 25 Jun 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
De Word Through Music
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on 25 Mar 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't Cry
Reggae - Released by Merritone - Dub Store Records on 10 Jun 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo