The Kingstonians were a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...

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 ...

vocal group best known for their late 1960s recordings for producer

Derrick Harriott Derrick Clifton Harriott Order of Distinction, OD (born 10 February 1942) is a Jamaican singer and record producer. He was a member of the Jiving Juniors with Herman Sang before embarking on a solo career. He has produced sound recording and re ...

History

Formed in 1966, the group comprised Cebert "Jackie" Bernard, his brother Lloyd "Footy" Bernard, and Lloyd Kerr.Leggett, Steve
The Kingstonians Biography
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Retrieved 20 September 2014 They first recorded for producer J.J. Johnson, and had their first hit with "Winey Winey" in 1967. Between 1968 and 1970 they recorded for producer

, and had chart-topping singles with "Singer Man" (later covered by

Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...

and

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

) and "Sufferer".Campbell, Howard (2014)
Jackie Bernard Is Dead
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 19 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014 The group's only album released while they were together, ''Sufferer'', was released in 1970 on

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck t ...

, and featured material recorded for Harriott. They went on to record with other producers including

Leslie Kong Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was an influential Chinese-Jamaican reggae producer. Career Leslie and his two older brothers Cecil and Lloyd ran a restaurant, ice cream parlour and record shop called Beverley's in Orange Stre ...

and

Rupie Edwards Rupert Lloyd Edwards (born 4 July 1945) is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer. Biography Rupie Edwards was born in Goshen, in Saint Ann Parish.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 103–105 The fam ...

before splitting up in the early 1970s.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 169 The group's primary songwriter Jackie Bernard pursued a solo career, with several releases credited to Jackie Bernard & the Kingstonians. He recorded "Economic Crisis" 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 ...

in the late 1970s under the pseudonym 'Jack Lord'.Katz, David (2006) ''People Funny Boy'', Omnibus Press, , p. 290 Jackie Bernard fell on hard times and became ill with

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

; Unable to afford medication, a foundation was set up in 2014 to provide him with financial assistance.Grizzle, Shereita (2014)
Tough Times for a Kingstonian
, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 2 February 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014 He died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 14 September 2014, aged 66.

Discography

Albums

*''Sufferer'' (1970),

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 1890 ...

- reissued 1991

Singles

*"Winey Winey" (1967), Rio *"Mix It Up" (1968), Trojan *"Mommy and Daddy" (1968), Doctor Bird *"Fun Galore" (1968), Doctor Bird *"Put Down Your Fire" (1968), Doctor Bird *"Mother Miserable" (1968),

Coxsone Clement Seymour "Coxsone" Dodd (26 January 1932 – 4 May 2004) was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond. He was nicknamed "Coxsone" at school due to his talent a ...

*"Make You a Woman", Studio One *"Nice Nice" (1969), Big Shot *"Singer Man" (1969), Big Shot *"The Clip" (1969), Crab *"I am Just a Minstrel" (1969), Bullet *"I'm Gonna Make It" (1969), Beverley's *"Hold Down" (1969), Crab *"Rumble Rumble" (1970), Song Bird *"Out There" (1970), Song Bird *"Love Is the Greatest Science" (2011), Caltone *"You Don't Remember Me" (2012), Tennors ;Jackie Bernard/Jackie Bernard & the Kingstonians: *"Way Down in the Ghetto" (1973), Leal *"Jah Children" (1974), Wambesi *"Never Changing Harmony" (1975), Stun King *"Original Style" (1975), Tough Jack

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingstonians Jamaican reggae musical groups