Fitzroy Ernest Wilson (18 November 1951 – 2 November 2021) was a Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

singer who found fame as a member of

the Clarendonians The Clarendonians are a ska and rocksteady vocal group from Jamaica, active initially from the mid- to late 1960s. They reformed in the 1990s and continue to perform live. History The Clarendonians were originally Fitzroy "Ernest" Wilson and P ...

before working as a solo artist.

Biography

Wilson formed the Clarendonians in 1963 with Peter Austin, the duo going on to become one of the most popular groups of the

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

and rocksteady era, and having several Jamaican number one hits.Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, Wilson embarked on a solo career in 1967, releasing the "Money Worries" single.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, Further singles followed, with "Undying Love", "Storybook Children" and "If I Were a Carpenter" in 1968 (all produced by Coxsone Dodd), "Private Number" (for

Joe Gibbs Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and ...

) and "Freedom Train" (for

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

- one of the first Jamaican singles ever to be released in stereo) in 1969. In 1969, he got back together with sometime Clarendonian

Freddie McGregor Freddie McGregor (born 27 June 1956, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Jamaican singer, musician and record producer. His music career began when he was seven years old. Biography In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to form The C ...

in the duo 'Ernest Wilson & Freddy', releasing the singles "Sentimental Man" and "Love Makes the World Go Round", and later "What You Gonna Do About It" and "Let Them Talk". One of Wilson's biggest international hit singles, "Let True Love Be", (1976), was done alongside Harold Butler & Four Corners. It was featured on Butler's 1978 album, ''The Butler Did It''. Wilson was also briefly a member of The Techniques.Harris, Craig "

The Clarendonians Biography ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, allmusic.com, Macrovision Corporation He contributed backing vocals to tracks by

Beres Hammond Beres Hammond OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. ...

, Inner Circle, Jimmy Reid,

Jimmy Riley Martin James Ziggy Norman Riley (22 May 1947 – 23 March 2016), better known as Jimmy Riley, was a Jamaican singer who in addition to recording solo was also a member of the Sensations and The Uniques and was the father of Tarrus Riley.Kenner ...

Johnny Osbourne Johnny Osbourne (born Errol Osbourne, 1948) is one of the most popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singers of all time, who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. His album '' Truths and Rights'' was a roots reggae success, and feat ...

and Kiddus I. He was also a multi-instrumentalist, having played piano on the ''Umoja'' album as part of the DEB Music Players,

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Gregory Isaacs Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...

' '' Cool Ruler'' album, and

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

on several recordings including tracks by

Tinga Stewart Tinga Stewart (born Neville Stewart, c.July 3 1950, Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae singer. Stewart won the Festival Song Contest three times, twice as a singer and once as a songwriter. Biography Stewart's career began in the late 1960s, his f ...

and Kiddus I. Wilson died in Kingston on 2 November 2021, at the age of 69.Ernest Wilson, founding member of the Clarendonians, dies at 69
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Albums

*''Love Revolution'' (1986) Natty Congo *''Promise Me'' (1987) Techniques *''Undying Love'' (1992) VP *''Still Love You'' (2007) Love Injection

References

External links

Ernest Wilson discography at ReggaeID
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ernest 1951 births 2021 deaths Jamaican bass guitarists Jamaican reggae musicians People from Clarendon Parish, Jamaica