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 Mar 25, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Take It Easy With The Rock Steady Beat
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on May 26, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grooving out on Life
Reggae - Released by Merritone on Nov 21, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Mighty Quinn
World - Released by Spirit of 69 Records on Jan 17, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rock A Shacka / I Don't Want Trouble
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on Jun 10, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Inner Peace
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on Jul 3, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love, Life and Music
Reggae - Released by SONGS 4 LIFE on Oct 27, 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Ballads Vol. One
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on Jul 6, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Music Got Soul / Rocksteady
World - Released by Dub Store Records on Aug 21, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Welcome to My House, Vol. 1
Reggae - Released by Lewis International Production on Sep 9, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lay Your Hands on Me Jesus
Reggae - Released by Rockstone Music Prod. on Jan 31, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Healing: 42 Years of Music
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on Dec 8, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Song's of Faith
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on Jun 25, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
De Word Through Music
Reggae - Released by Songs 4 Life Ministry on Mar 25, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Celebrating 40 Years of Music
Reggae - Released by SONGS 4 LIFE on Jan 24, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Run If You Are Afraid
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on Aug 3, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Happy Christmas
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on Jul 20, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
At The Corner Of The Street / Move Along With Me
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on Jun 17, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Don't Cry / A De Pon Dem
Reggae - Released by Dub Store Records on Jun 10, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo