Bobby Ellis

Biography

Bobby Ellis (2 July 1932 – 18 October 2016) was a Jamaican trumpet and flugelhorn player born in Kingston, Jamaica, renowned for his contributions to ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dub. He began his musical education at the prestigious Alpha Boys School, where he studied trumpet under Raymond Harper, mastering classical pieces, marches, waltzes, and big band styles that honed his skills in timing, harmony, and arrangement. After leaving school at age 15 to work in the bus building industry to afford his own trumpet, Ellis returned to music in the late 1950s, joining big bands like Tony Brown's and the Mighty Vikings post-Jamaican independence in 1962. His recording career ignited in 1964 when Deadly Headley recommended the Mighty Vikings to producer Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, where Ellis became a key horn arranger and session musician.[1][2]

Ellis's career flourished across Jamaica's vibrant music scene, freelancing for labels like Studio One, Treasure Isle, and Matador while playing with bands such as the Soul Brothers (invited by Roland Alphonso), Tommy McCook’s band, and Lynn Taitt and the Jets. He arranged horns for iconic releases including Burning Spear's Marcus Garvey album as part of Jack Ruby's Black Disciples studio band, co-arranged (with Tommy McCook) Bunny Wailer's Blackheart Man (1976), and contributed to Peter Tosh recordings. During rocksteady, he toured hotel circuits with bands led by Hooter Williams and Llans Thelwell. His versatile style bridged ska's punchy horns to reggae's dub explorations, and he made a cameo in the 1978 film Rockers with the Rockers All Stars.[1][2]

In recognition of his prolific session work and arrangements, Ellis received the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) in 2014. He passed away on 18 October 2016 in Kingston at age 84 from pneumonia-related illness, shortly after his friend Deadly Headley Bennett. Ellis left a legacy as a foundational horn master whose precise arrangements shaped Jamaican popular music for decades.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• Ellis wrote and recorded 'Cyrus' in his debut Studio One session in 1964 with the Mighty Vikings, which featured vocals from Joe Higgs and Bob Marley & the Wailers.
• He had his own office at Studio One (13 Brentford Road) where producers and band leaders sought his horn arrangements.
• Ellis bought his first trumpet after six years of working in the bus building industry to fund it, having left Alpha Boys School at 15.
• He passed away just six days after his close collaborator Deadly Headley Bennett and only months apart in 2016.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Raymond Harper - Trumpet teacher at Alpha Boys School (Classical and big band training) [1940s (during school years)]

Key Collaborators

• Deadly Headley Bennett - Frequent collaborator and arranger partner; recommended Ellis for first Studio One session (Numerous 1960s-1970s recordings; reggae arrangements) [1964-2016]
• Tommy McCook - Bandmate and co-arranger (Blackheart Man (1976, Bunny Wailer); albums Green Mango (1974), Blazing Horns (1977), Tommy McCook Featuring Bobby Ellis (2004)) [1960s-2000s]
• Burning Spear - Studio band member (Black Disciples) and touring musician (Marcus Garvey album; 12-year tour) [1970s]
• Roland Alphonso - Invited Ellis to join Soul Brothers (Soul Brothers recordings) [1960s]
• Peter Tosh - Session horn player (Various reggae recordings) [1970s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia