As founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell brought reggae to the world, most notably signing Bob Marley and forging his career.
Born and raised in Jamaica, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell made the genius move to market Bob Marley as a rock star.
One night in 1958, a 21-year-old Chris Blackwell went with a friend to see the Miles Davis Quintet at Café Bohemia, in Greenwich Village. Afterward, he wrangled his way into a small, smoky backstage room to meet both Davis and John Coltrane. Davis took a liking to the young, white Jamaican, and they began to hang out. One night, watching Blackwell moving his leg unconsciously up and down to music, he scolded him. “Slow down, man. Enjoy it in your head. Keep it to yourself.” Stay cool and be cool—it was a message from the master.
In The Islander, Blackwell (working with journalist Paul Morley) has written a highly entertaining, rapid-fire, hard-to-put-down memoir. The record producer/label founder/hotelier/film producer takes us on a rip-roaring ride through the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the most exciting years in popular music. Davis’s advice to keep cool aligned with the no-worries Jamaican vibe Blackwell was born with. In his approach to both life and business, Chris Blackwell would always manage to stay cool.
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