Hopeton Lewis

Biography

Hopeton Lewis was born on October 3, 1947, in Kingston, Jamaica, though some sources mention Montego Bay; he lost his mother at age two and was raised by various relatives. Singing in church from an early age, he formed a youth singing group called the Regals and began performing as a young artist. His rich baritone voice became prominent in Jamaican music during the mid-1960s transition from ska to rocksteady[1][2][4][5][7].

At age 19, Lewis recorded 'Take It Easy' in 1966 at Federal Records in Kingston with guitarist Lynn Taitt and the Jets, a track widely regarded as one of the first rocksteady songs due to its slower tempo, marking a pivotal shift toward reggae. He worked as an arranger for producer Duke Reid, scoring hits like 'Sounds and Pressure,' 'Cool Collie' (an early herb-themed tune), 'Tom Drunk' with U-Roy, 'Boom Shaka Laka' (1970 Festival Song winner), and 'Grooving Out on Life' in 1971 as lead singer with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. He also collaborated on 'The Right Track' with Phyllis Dillon[1][2][3].

Lewis's output slowed after the early 1970s, but he continued recording sporadically. In the early 1990s, as a born-again Christian, he shifted to gospel music, releasing albums like 'This is Gospel,' '(1966),' and 'Reaching Out to Jesus' in 2000. He passed away on September 4, 2014, at age 66 in his Brooklyn, New York home, leaving a legacy as a rocksteady pioneer whose work bridged ska, rocksteady, reggae, and gospel[1][2].

Fun Facts

• Hopeton Lewis advertised himself on late 1960s flyers as 'the creator of the rock steady beat,' positioning himself as a pioneer of the genre[3].
• His 1966 track 'Take It Easy' was promoted by Merritone Records as featuring the 'new “Rock Steady” beat,' cementing its historical status[1].
• 'Cool Collie' is considered one of the first herb-themed tunes in Jamaican music[1].
• After becoming a born-again Christian in the early 1990s, he released gospel albums with titles ironically nodding to his rocksteady past, like '(1966)'[2].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Lynn Taitt - Guitarist who backed Lewis and suggested slowing the tempo for 'Take It Easy,' contributing to rocksteady's birth ('Take It Easy' (1966)) [1966]
• Duke Reid - Producer for whom Lewis worked as an arranger (Various hits including 'Sounds and Pressure') [1960s]

Key Collaborators

• Lynn Taitt and the Jets - Backing band for breakthrough recording ('Take It Easy' (1966)) [1966]
• U-Roy - Deejay on early deejay tune ('Tom Drunk') [Late 1960s]
• Phyllis Dillon - Duet partner ('The Right Track') [1960s]
• Byron Lee and the Dragonaires - Lead singer on hit single ('Grooving Out on Life' (1971)) [1971]

Artists Influenced

• Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek feat. Mos Def) - Sampled Lewis's work in hip-hop track ('Tom Drunk' sampled in 'Fortified Live' (2000)) [2000]

External Links

• Spotify