Led by brothers Louis and Dave Myers, the pioneering Chicago blues combo the Aces earned their greatest success in support of Little Walter. Natives of Byhalia, Mississippi, guitarist Louis and bassist Dave originally performed under the name "the Little Boys"; with the subsequent addition of harpist Junior Wells, they rechristened themselves... [+] Read More

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One of the first vocalists to enter the Jamaican music business, Alton Ellis was generally revered as the greatest and most soulful singer the country ever produced -- that is, until Bob Marley came along. Ellis had his first hit during the ska craze, but made his true lasting mark as the definitive solo singer of the rocksteady era. Sweet,... [+] Read More

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Ken Boothe was one of the most popular and soulful singers of the rocksteady era, arguably second only to Alton Ellis. Where Ellis was silky smooth, Boothe's vocals were deeper and grittier, earning him a reputation as Jamaica's answer to Wilson Pickett. First rising to popularity as part of a ska duo with Stranger Cole, Boothe forged a solo... [+] Read More

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The Dominoes (also sometimes known as Billy Ward & the Dominoes) had one of the finest musical pedigrees of any R&B vocal group of the 1940s, at least based on its founder's training and experience. A lot of R&B acts came out of a gospel background, and Bo Diddley even studied violin as a boy, but rare is the R&B vocal group whose founder was... [+] Read More

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Essentially a mouthpiece for singer and songwriter Leonard Dillon, the Ethiopians were one of Jamaica's most influential vocal groups during their heyday. Not only did the duo (completed by Stephen Taylor) spearhead the transition between ska and rocksteady, Dillon's heavily Rastafarian lyrics also paved the way for the socially conscious roots... [+] Read More

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One of the definitive rocksteady vocal groups, the Heptones were also one of the few to successfully make the transition to the reggae era. The group was fronted by Leroy Sibbles, who was not only an exquisite singer but also a talented songwriter, arranger, and session bassist at the legendary Studio One. Penning much of its own material, the... [+] Read More

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The Maytones were actually the duo of lead singer Vern Buckley and backing vocalist Gladstone "Son" Grant. The pair were neighbors in May Pen, a rural market town, a background that deeply influenced their vocal style.

Buckley moved to Kingston first and eventually began backing Trevor Lloyd, who seems to have introduced him to... [+] Read More

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Vocal trio the Melodians were one of Jamaica's greatest rocksteady groups, cutting a series of classic singles during the late '60s and early '70s that included the internationally famed "Rivers of Babylon" and "Sweet Sensation." The group was formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston in 1963 and included Tony Brevett (brother of Skatalites... [+] Read More

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The historical importance of the Wailers is undeniable. They were one of the very first, if not the first, of the American garage bands. Backing Rockin' Robin Roberts, they revamped an obscure R&B song called "Louie Louie" into a 1961 local hit that served as the prototype for the countless subsequent versions of the most popular garage song of... [+] Read More

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