One of the most identifiable voices of rock-steady, Desmond Dekker is a seminal figure in the development of reggae music and was once one of Jamaica's most popular figures. In the U.S., he is still best remembered for the 1969 Top Ten hit "Israelites" that he recorded with his band the Aces. It was a chart topper in England and was the first gold record ever issued in Jamaica. In the states the song was presented as a novelty song since few could understand the meaning of the puzzling lyrics which are actually a cry against the oppression and brutal conditions daily faced by most modern-day African-Jamaicans. The lyrics "Get up in the morning, bake beans for breakfast. Get up in the morning, same thing for breakfast" are a sly reference to slaving, meaning that most have to get up early so they can slave away for a little bit of money.

Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Dacre in Kingston. By the time he was in his early teens, Dekker knew that he wanted to sing, but getting a contract in the early '60s was difficult. The main producer in Kingston back then was Leslie Kong who produced the early records of giants Jimmy Cliff and Derrick Morgan. Kong, who would only infrequently seek out new talent, eventually agreed to give Dekker a chance after Dekker literally pushed his way into Kong's office and demanded an audition. With studio keyboardist Theophilus "Easy Snappin" Beckford playing along, Dekker proceeded to sing his "Honor Your Father and Your Mother." Beckford was deeply impressed as were the others who made him sing it several times. He also sang "Madgie" another of his songs.

After that, he was given a rehearsal date and a recording time. The recording session included such distinguished players as Morgan, Cliff, Frank Coslo, Eric Morris, and Andy & Joey to wax the songs he had auditioned. Kong correctly predicted that "Honor Your Father and Your Mother," the A-side of the single would be a hit. While waiting for the single's release, Dekker returned to his day job where he met a young co-worker, Bob Marley, another apiring musician -- Dekker then introduced Marley to Kong. Both Dekker and Marley's singles came out about the same time, but it was Dekker who hit the jackpot. His next single was the gospel-inflected "Sinners Come On Home"/"Labor for Learning." Working with Kong, Dekker created a number of classic tracks that continue to be recorded by others today including "Rude Boy Train," "Intensified," and "Pretty Africa."

While he and Kong had been pretty tight throughout the decade, in the late '60s things changed when Kong began focussing most of his attention on producing the new sensation from Barbados' Jackie Opel, shorting the old guard on recording time. Bob Marley finally got fed up and moved to work with Coxsone Dodd. Eventually, Dekker too left -- joining instead Duke Reid. On the day he was to record with Reid, Kong showed up and begged him to return. Dekker recorded "Get Up Adina" and "King of Ska" with his back-up band, the Aces. They had international success with "007" a song credited with shaping the direction of future rock-steady music. The song reached the top of Jamaican charts and peaked at number 15 on the U.K. charts. In 1968, Dekker's song "Intensified" won the Jamaica Festival song competition. Following the success of "Israelites," Dekker left his Aces and toured as a solo act. Solo successes include "A It Mek," a song he wrote about his little sister. Later he had another smash hit with his cover of Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It if You Really Want." As reggae music began to overshadow rock-steady through the 1970s, Dekker's popularity began to fade a bit. By the late-'70s, his career was revitalized by the british ska-revival. He signed to Stiff Records and recorded two albums including 1980's Black and Dekker, but since then has only infrequently recorded.

-- Courtesy (Sandra Brennan, All-Music Guide) --