Judy Mowatt

Judy Mowatt (born in 1952) is a Jamaican singer.

Related Topics:
1952 - Jamaican

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She joined a singing trio called The Gaylettes in 1967. When the group split she continued as a solo act. She and Rita Marley first sang together when Marcia Griffiths needed some harmony vocals on a song she was recording at Studio One with Bob Andy... The trio settled on the name the I-Threes.

Related Topics:
Rita Marley - Marcia Griffiths - I-Threes

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The evening that Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley had first worked with Marcia Griffiths at Studio One, Marcia Griffiths had been due to perform at a club in New Kingston called House of Chen: she asked them to sing harmony vocals with her on a song by The Supremes called "Remember Me." The audience was enraptured, and Bob Marley got to hear about it.

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The performance had taken place close to the day when it was reported in the local press that Haile Selassie had died - on August 27, 1975. This, remembers Judy Mowatt, was a very sad, cold day in Jamaica. Some immediately lost their faith. But many more clung on, knowing that this was a false message the Bible had predicted.

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"We were not afraid. We knew that it was not true. We knew that He had the power to disappear," Judy Mowatt said.

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Soon after Rita Marley's daughter Sharon ran up to Bob Marley: "Is it true? Jah is dead?" Bob Marley denied it. A few days later he recorded "Jah Live," one of his most beautiful songs, in answer to Sharon's question. As soon as the recording was completed it was rush-released as a single in Jamaica.

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