Island Records founder Chris Blackwell will release his memoir on June 7 via Gallery Books.
The long awaited title “The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond,” co-written with Paul Morley, will tell the life story of the man whose musical vision led the world towards reggae and launched Bob Marley as an international icon.
Blackwell is himself, an islander with multiple properties in Jamaica, now owns the premium resort Golden Eye, the home on James Bond. He played integrals roles in developing James Bond’s Dr. No soundtrack with the likes Byron Lee and The Dragonaires.
Island Records was founded in 1959, and his first major hit was a cover of “My Boy Lollipop” by Millie Small in 1964. Blackwell brought the young singer to England and her single went on to sell millions of copies.
Blackwell went on to sign U2, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones, Roxy Music, Traffic, Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Robert Palmer, the B-52’s and Jimmy Cliff, among other artists. It was his discovery of the golden goose Marley and the Wailers in 1972 that would lead to seminal albums and songs and help inspire a global movement to uplift the underrepresented.
“It’s over 60 years since I started Island Records, it seems a good time to write about the people and the musicians I’ve worked with and the places I’ve loved,” said Blackwell in a statement. “It’s been quite a trip.”
As a result of Marley’s success Blackwell’s status and influence of reggae music is in the upper echelon.
Bob Marley’s son Rohan Marley spoke of a time when Blackwell saved the “family jewels” from the hands of the highest bidder shortly after Marley’s death in 1981.
Rohan said he would never agree to selling Marley’s rights now because there was a time when Bob Marley’s music rights were up for grabs, and it was Blackwell who stepped up with a loan to the Marley Estate to ensure the rights didn’t go to outsiders.
“Chris Blackwell(Founder Of Island Records), the guy everybody don’t like, he loaned us(the family) the money”. Rohan gleefully stated.
“We were able to buy our father’s rights because when they sold it they gave the children first rights of refusal…We had (to raise the) money at the time to buy the publishing rights, name and likeness..we would never put our father’s likeness and rights in anybody’s hands, The Marley Coffee Owner said.
“Thats why today it’s us”, he concluded on the subject.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s book “The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond” is available to pre-order now).
