Bob Andy

An undeniable mainstay of the thriving ‘60s reggae scene, distinguished singer-songwriter Bob Andy (born Keith Anderson on October 28th, 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica) first rose to prominence as a member of rocksteady vocal group The Paragons before launching a successful solo career in 1967. Tackling a vast array of relatable, often profound subjects in his lyrics including idealistic musings and celebrations of culture, Andy soon found himself in demand as a songwriter, penning works for the likes of Tony Rebel, Ken Boothe, Cutty Ranks, Gregory Isaacs and Barrington Levy over the course of an illustrious career. Enjoying his first run of solo hits in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, including “I’ve Got to Go Back Home”, “Unchained” and “You Don’t Know”, Andy soon struck up a professional rapport with fellow Kingston singer Marcia Griffiths, and the pair went on to score a plethora of international hits under the joint stage name Bob & Marcia. Comprising straightforward love songs for the most part, these also notably included the Nina Simone cover “Young, Gifted and Black”, which reached #5 in the United Kingdom, and a 1971 rendition of Crispian St. Peters’ “Pied Piper”, which peaked at #11 in the UK. Doubling up as an industry executive for much of his career, Andy founded his own label, I-Anka, and served as an A&R for Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Records, all the while recording and releasing new material of his own. In 2006 – the same year that he shared his final studio album, Reggae Land – he was awarded the Jamaican government’s coveted Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander for his contributions to the national music scene. Still writing songs in his hometown of Kingston in his final years, Andy sadly lost his life to cancer on March 27th, 2020 at the age of 75.

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