Frankie Paul
Birth namePaul Blake
Born(1965-10-19)19 October 1965
Kingston, Jamaica
Died18 May 2017(2017-05-18) (aged 51)
Kingston, Jamaica
GenresReggae, dancehall, lovers rock
InstrumentsVocals, piano, drums
Years active1980–2017
LabelsVP, Jammy's, RAS

Paul Blake (19 October 1965[1] – 18 May 2017),[2] better known as Frankie Paul, was a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'.

Biography

Born in Jamaica in 1965,[3] Blake was born blind but as a child had his sight partially restored by an operation on a hospital ship.[4][5] He sang for, and impressed Stevie Wonder when Wonder visited the school that Blake attended, prompting him to pursue a singing career.[4]

Adopting the stage name Frankie Paul, he first found fame in the early 1980s, and he recorded prolifically throughout the decade.[4] He recorded for virtually every producer/studio in Jamaica at some time, and was known to release several albums a year.

NME magazine entry on Frankie Paul
"Frankie Paul has a voice that improves with each release and, although initially compared with Dennis Brown, he has evolved a strange nasal, throaty style that makes him sound much older. It's the sheer exuberance of his best performances that give away his youthfulness, and his two London appearances have been joyous occasions."[6]

Notable works of Frankie Paul include the popular "Sara" and "Worries in the Dance".[7]

Paul resided in The Gambia from 1994.[7] In January 2016 he underwent surgery to amputate a foot and part of his leg.[8]

Frankie Paul died on 18 May 2017 from complications with his liver at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.[2][9]

Discography

Albums

References

  1. ^ The Reggae & African Beat. Vol. 6–7. Bongo Productions. 1987. p. 18.
  2. ^ a b Henry, Balford (19 May 2017). "Reggae singer Frankie Paul is dead". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b Steve Huey. "Frankie Paul | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. pp. 219–220. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.
  5. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-313-33158-8.
  6. ^ a b "Greensleeves - Frankie Paul". Archived from the original on 22 February 2007.
  7. ^ a b "Singer Frankie Paul takes stand". Jamaica Observer. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  8. ^ Bonitto, Brian (21 January 2016). "Frankie Paul on the mend". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. ^ Mason, Peter (24 May 2017). "Frankie Paul obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  10. ^ David Jeffries (7 June 2011). "Most Wanted – Frankie Paul | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2013.

External links

Authority control databases
Categories