As 2008 draws to a close (8)

Alton Nehmiah Ellis sang professionally for just short of five decades, being half of Alton and Eddy (he was "Alton", spookily enough) in the late fifties, and cutting a solo "Duke of Earl" for Arthur "Duke" Reid in 1962 or 63. His chief fame were his rocksteady records, when Coxsone and Duke fought for his services and his tunes topped the charts for weeks. "I'm Still in Love", "All My Tears", "Get Ready, Rock Steady", "I'm Just A guy", "Girl I've Got a Date" not only defined the rocksteady era, but are amomng the most covered and versioned Jamaican tunes ever.

His hitmaking continued into the reggae era - he was at home with the more "roots" producers of the early seventies, cutting tunes with Keith Hudson and Loyd Daley. On moving to England, his "It's Hard To Be a Lover" was an early Lovers Rock Hit. The eighties were a fallow period for him, but he stormed back with hits for Steely and Cleevie and Coxsone in the early nineties. This tune is from 1974, and covers the old Luther Ingram/Millie Jackson standard. Once again, it's lesser known than it should be.

His latter years were marked by a long battle with cancer - having recovered enough to resume performing, he fell ill again in August, and after a long fight, drifted peacefully away, many hours after even his doctors had given up hope.

Alton Ellis died on October 14th. He was between 66 and 68 years old (Biographies differ).