by Howard Campbell
United Kingdom – During the 1980s, a sound called lovers rock dominated West Indian clubs in the United Kingdom. This mellow reggae offshoot became popular thanks to artists like Gregory Isaacs, the dapper singer known as The Cool Ruler.
Isaacs, who died in London in 2010 at age 60, is the subject of ‘The Cool Ruler—The Musical’, produced jointly by the Gregory Isaacs Foundation and Bagga John Production, based in the UK.
The first of its five shows is scheduled for May 25 at Hackney Empire. Terrence Wallen, a British singer of Jamaican parentage, plays Isaacs who would be 75 on July 15.
“It’s a pleasure to keep Gregory’s legacy alive. He has a great catalog and it’s important for this generation to hear his music. It’s also important that this event is being held in England because that’s where Gregory was first called the king of lovers rock,” said June Isaacs, Isaacs’ wife and head of the Gregory Isaacs Foundation.
She came up with the idea for the musical with Copeland Forbes, who was Isaacs’ manager. Both selected the songs for the musical.
‘The Cool Ruler—The Musical’ is also scheduled for Fairfield Halls in Croydon on May 31; O2 Academy in Birmingham on June 1; and the Broadway Theatre in Catford on June 7-8.
Gregory Isaacs had a massive following in the United Kingdom, through songs like All I Have Is Love, Soon Forward, Tune In, Night Nurse and Love me With Feeling. He toured the country frequently in the 1980s and 1990s, packing venues such as the Brixton Academy and Hammersmith Palais.
His custom-made suits and Fedoras complemented his smooth vocals, making him one of the most popular reggae acts in the UK.
Isaacs had a strong influence on British reggae artists who emerged during the late 1970s, including Maxi Priest, Janet Kay and Caroll Thompson, who are considered lovers rock pioneers in the UK.
