Jacob Miller (musician)

Jacob Mathias Miller (born May 4, 1952 in Mandeville , † March 23, 1980 in Kingston ) was a Jamaican reggae singer and Rastafarian fanatic.

Life

Jacob Miller was born the only child to parents, Joan Ashman and Desmond Elliot. His father, whom he never met, was active as a singer in England under the synonym Sidney Elliott . He is also a cousin of the singer Maxi Priest .

The father left the family early and at the age of eight Jacob Miller was sent to Kingston to live with his grandparents. While attending Kingston's Melrose High School , he spent his free time in the music studios, where his friend Augustus Pablo introduced him to Joe Gibbs and King Tubby as well as the successful producer "Sir" Coxsone Dodd , for whom he was born in 1968 at the age of 13 Years ago recorded his first song called Love Is A Message .

After only mediocre success, Jacob Miller did not resume studio recordings until 1974, which were produced by Augustus Pablo. Songs like Each One Teach One , Keep On Knocking , False Rasta , Who Say Jah No Dread and Baby I Love You So date from this period .

Miller later became the lead vocalist of Inner Circle , whose line-up had changed constantly until he was recorded. On the band's first album from 1974, Rock the Boat , Miller is named alongside Phillip Thompson as a singer.

As part of his solo career alongside Inner Circle, Miller's greatest successes began in 1975, Tenement Yard , in which he sang about the daily life of a Rastafarian in the Kingston ghettos, and Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush , which opposes the illegality of consuming marijuana in Jamaica.

In the 1978 reggae cult film Rockers , Jacob Miller appeared in a supporting role as "Jakes" (at 1h 11min, while eating) and sang live with Inner Circle Tenement Yard (0h 41min) as part of the action in a restaurant .

At the One Love Peace Concert in 1978 Jacob Miller and Inner Circle appeared on stage alongside Bob Marley and Peter Tosh . Then Inner Circle signed a contract with Chris Blackwell , whereupon the album Everything is Great was released on Island Records in 1979 , which helped the band to international breakthrough. Blackwell planned to use Inner Circle as support for Bob Marley's 1980 American tour.

On March 23, 1980, Jacob Miller had a fatal car accident when he hit a lamp post on Hope Road, Kingston. He died at the age of 27 and is counted in Club 27 .

His already recorded album Mixed Up Moods , due to be released at the end of the year, became a rarity. Inner Circle's New Age album, which has also already been produced, contains a dedication to "Jacob Mathias Miller" and was released that same year.

Discography

Jacob Miller's greatest hits were u. a .:

• Shaky girl
• Truth Has Come Again
• Money
• Dock Of The Bay
• Forward Jah Jah Children
• Roman Soldiers Of Babylon
• None Shall Escape The Judgment
• Curly Locks (for Angela)
• Here I am baby
• West Bound Train
• Forward Ever
• I Shall Be Released
• Big Stripe
• City Of The Weak Heart
• Tenement yard
• Suzy Wong
• Sinners
• Healing of the Nation
• I've Got the Handle (Original by The Heptones )
• Tired Fe Lick Weed In A Bush

Studio albums

• 1976: Tenement Yard (aka Dread Dread 1978)
• 1978: Jacob "Killer" Miller
• 1978: Natty Christmas
• 1979: Jacob Miller Meets Fatman Riddim Section
• 1979: Wanted
• 1980: I'm Just A Dread
• 1980: Mixed Up Moods
• 1992: Jacob Miller & Inner Circle & Augustus Pablo

Compilations

• 1992: Who Say Jah No Dread
• 1990: Killer Rides Again

Web links

• Works by Jacob Miller in the catalog of the German National Library
• Biography ( Memento from July 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (English)