Reggae superstar and lover's rock singer-songwriter and producer Gregory Isaacs was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1951. His smooth vocal delivery earned him the title 'The Cool Ruler'. Isaacs recorded his debut tracks in the early Seventies, and went on to set up his own record label African Museum. He is known for his signature track "Night Nurse," while his best known albums are Night Nurse, Out Deh! and Red Rose for Gregory.
In his teens, Isaacs became a veteran of the talent contests that regularly took place in Jamaica. In 1968, he made his recording debut with a duet with Winston Sinclair on the track, "Another Heartache." The single sold poorly and Isaacs went on to team up with two other vocalists in the short-lived trio The Concords. The trio split up in 1970 and Isaacs launched his solo career, initially self-producing recordings and also recording further for other producers.
In 1973 he teamed up with another young singer Errol Dunkley, to start the African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a massive hit with "My Only Lover," credited as the first "lovers rock" record ever made. Isaacs continued to record for other producers to finance further African Museum recordings. He had a string of hits in the three years that followed, ranging from ballads to roots reggae; "All I Have Is Love", "Lonely Soldier", "Black a Kill Black", "Extra Classic", and his cover version of Dobby Dobson's "Loving Pauper."
In 1974 Isaacs began working with producer Alvin Ranglin, and that year he had his first Jamaican number one single with "Love Is Overdue." Isaacs recorded for many of Jamaica's top producers during the 1970s, and by the late 1970s Isaacs was one of the biggest reggae performers in the world, regularly touring the US and the UK, and challenged only by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley.
International stardom seemed assured in 1978 when Isaacs signed to the Virgin Records offshoot Front Line Records, and appeared in the film Rockers, in which he had a cameo and also performed "Slave Master." Yet the subsequent Cool Ruler Style and Soon Forward albums failed to sell as well as expected, although they are now considered among his best work.
In 1981, Issacs made his first appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival (returning annually until 1991), and after increasing popularity and hit singles, he signed to Island Records and released the record that finally saw him break through to a wider audience, Night Nurse.
Although Night Nurse was not a huge chart hit in either the UK or US, it was hugely popular in clubs and received heavy radio play, and the album reached #32 in the UK.
With success came fame and soon Isaacs' problems with cocaine had him serving a six-month prison sentence in Kingston in 1982 for possession of unlicensed firearms. Isaacs claimed that he had the weapons only for protection, but it emerged that it was his 27th arrest. Isaacs had reportedly become involved in drug dealing and had become addicted to crack cocaine. In 1983, he celebrated his release from prison with his second album for Island, Out Deh!
The 1980s and 1990s saw Isaacs working prolifically and touring extensively. In the 1990s the African Museum label continued to release all of Isaacs' music, and that of artists he produced. In 1997 Simply Red covered "Night Nurse" and generated a hit with it. Isaacs continued to record and perform live in the 2000s.
Isaacs' drug addiction had a major impact on his voice and health; most of his teeth fell out as a result of his crack addiction and it was likely a cause in the lung cancer that ultimately ended his life in October, 2010.
