A renowned Jamaican musician with a silky smooth voice that soothes even an angry lion; the late great Gregory Isaacs will be forever remembered; he was a true musical genius, with timeless classics such as “Night Nurse”.
Andre Wellington spoke with June Isaacs, wife of Gregory, who shared some insight into the great man’s life, career and posthumous endeavours.
Describe Gregory’s childhood years:
Gregory was born in Kingston and grew up in Fletcher’s Land where he attended St. Barnabas Basic School. He spent most of his childhood in Western Kingston.
He taught himself a few skills- shoe making, carpentry and especially how to survive as a ‘ghetto youth’.
When did he realise he could sing?
He started in church and progressed to doing little concerts with his self-made guitar. Originally, he was in a group but then branched out on his own.
He worked with Errol Dunkley who produced his first single that was fit for airplay (she smiles), “Another Heartache”. A little while after, he linked up with Mr. Ranglin of Gee Gee Records which led to his first #1 hit “Love Is Over You”.
What foods did he like?
Him love him cornmeal porridge. He also loved seafood. I highly rated his cooking. He was especially good with Rice and Peas- you could eat it without meat when he prepared it, trust me!
What movies did he love?
He loved gangster themed movies, such as ‘Scarface’ and ‘Godfather’, which explains his gangster persona – his hat, his walk, kerchief hanging out and all.
What about music?
Slim Smith was a favourite of his; as well as Millie Jackson.
He read a lot of Mills and Boon books, which influenced his ‘Lover’s Rock’ styled music.
Tell us about Gregory, the family man?
He kept the place spic ‘n’ span, even during his superstardom days. He would cook for me, waking me in the mornings to a hot bowl of cornmeal porridge (she laughs).
He spent a lot of time with the kids- telling them stories (the same one over and over, she laughs); and beach trips were a must!
As a couple, we spent time together, especially on tours. We had his mother live with us because we travelled all over the world and he never left me behind. His friends called me his ‘hand bag’ or his ‘mic’ because ‘him nuh lef mi no weh’.
His favourite hobbies?
He loved to draw. He loved horse racing, to the point where he owned horses and was always present at the tracks. He enjoyed dog racing, playing Poker Boxes at local bars and visiting the cinema.
Name some places he had toured…
We visited all the continents. We toured Italy, Spain, Czechoslovakia, United Kingdom, Austria and Germany. We were in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and I have a piece of the wall.
June talks about his tough period…
It was very rocky; being locked up here and there. You never knew which version of the man would show. Sometimes he was really cool and a next minute he was aggressive. I tried sheltering the kids, so that they wouldn’t be affected.
At times I took the rap for him, especially since he was the bread-winner for the family. A couple times I had to get away from him, but I realised when I did that he got worse. So I would stick around and try to get him rehabilitated. It was just a trying period for us.
He was eventually diagnosed with a tumour in his lungs which forced him to cut smoking and also heavily minimised his drug usage, which made him much better, ironically.
His musical accolades?
Gregory recorded almost 500 albums, worked with several producers locally and internationally and had a slew of hits; the most known probably is “Night Nurse” for which he a plaque as a best seller. Groups such as U2 and Rolling Stones have done covers of a couple of his singles. He won many awards, including the MOBO; and he treasured all his awards.
He will receive a ‘Blue Plaque’, a landmark in his honour for the house in England where he made his transition from life to death. This plaque places him in the elite league with Dennis Brown, Bob Marley and John Lennon, who were also awarded ‘Blue Plaques’.
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