Judith Veronica Mowatt, (born 1952) is 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 ...

artist. As well as being a solo artist, from 1974 she was also a member of the I Threes, the trio of backing vocalists for Bob Marley & The Wailers.

Early life

Mowatt was born in Gordon Town, St. Andrew Parish,

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 ...

. At the age of 13, she became a member of a dance troupe which toured Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean. Her initial ambition was to become a registered nurse. Her earliest musical influences were Aretha Franklin,

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

, Dionne Warwick,

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

Marcia Griffiths Marcia Llyneth Griffiths (born 23 November 1949) is a Jamaican singer. One reviewer described her by noting "she is known primarily for her strong, smooth-as-mousse love songs and captivating live performances". Biography Born in West Kingst ...

The Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 21 ...

and The Soulettes. A coincidental meeting with two teenage girls who were earlier in her dance troupe led to the formation of the Gaylettes, in 1967.

Career

In 1974, Mowatt got her big break by joining

's backing vocal trio the "

I Threes Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

". Her ''Black Woman'' album (Ashandan, 1979) came out the same year as I Three member

's album ''At Studio One''. It is considered by many critics to be the greatest reggae album by a female artist. It was also the first reggae album recorded by a woman acting as her own producer. She became the first female singer nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

in the category of reggae music when her ''Working Wonders'' album was nominated in 1985. Formerly a member of the

Rastafari movement Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of ...

, in the late 1990s she converted to Christianity and now sings Gospel music. In 1999 the Jamaican government made her an Officer of the

Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') ...

for "services to music".

Identity mixup

Some sources wrongfully assumed Judy Mowatt to be identical to Jean Watt (the longtime wife of Bunny Livingston/Wailer).Moskowitz, David (2007
''The Words and Music of Bob Marley''
p. 162 (Chapter 3, note 32). This mixup possibly originated from Mowatt using several different stage names, for legal reasons, in the early 1970’s: Julianne, Julie-Ann, and Jean. Bunny Wailer credited his wife, Jean Watt for writing some of the tracks recorded during sessions for the album '' Burnin''' (1973): "Hallelujah Time", “Pass It On" and "Reincarnated Soul”. The latter song first appeared on a single as B Side to “Concrete Jungle''”'' and later - with the name changed to "Reincarnated Souls" – on Bunny Wailer's first solo album ''

Blackheart Man ''Blackheart Man'' is the debut album by Bunny Wailer, originally released on 8 September 1976, in Jamaica on Solomonic Records and internationally on Island Records. Overview The songs on the album are regarded as the finest written by Bunny Wa ...

'' (1976).

Discography

* ''Mellow Mood'' (1975),

Tuff Gong Tuff Gong is the brand name associated with a number of businesses started by Bob Marley and Rita Marley#Children, the Marley family. 'Tuff Gong' comes from Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari ...

* ''Black Woman'' (1979), Ashandan / (1980), Grove Music (Island Records) * ''Mr. Dee-J'' (1981), Ashandan * ''Only A Woman'' (1982), Shanachie * ''Working Wonders'' (1985), Ashandan * ''Love Is Overdue'' (1986), Shanachie * ''I Shall Sing'' (1991), Trojan Records * ''

Look at Love ''Look at Love'' is an album by the Jamaican musician Judy Mowatt, released in 1991. Mowatt supported the album with a North American tour. Production The album was produced by Sly and Robbie and Michael Bennett. After realizing that she could tou ...

'' (1991), Koch International / Shanachie * ''Rock Me'' (1993), Pow Wow * ''Love'' (1998), African Love / Jet Star * ''Something Old, Something New'' (2002), Judy M Music/Tuff Gong International * ''Sing Our Own Song'' (2003), Shanachie

with the I Three

* ''Beginning'' (1986), Tuff Gong / EMI - with Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths, credited to 'I-Three'

with the Gaylettes

*''We Shall Sing (Girl Group Rocksteady, Reggae And Soul 1967-73)'' (2001), Westside (compilation) *''Rescue Me (1967-1973)'' (2016),

Roots Reggae Library The Roots Reggae Library is a website that lists reviews of discographies of reggae artists. It contains detailed written descriptions of albums, songs and the style of the artist. There are currently 33 discographies on the website. The content o ...

(compilation)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mowatt, Judy 1952 births Living people Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica The Wailers members Roots Reggae Library Converts to the Rastafari movement Converts to Christianity Officers of the Order of Distinction Former Rastafarians Jamaican gospel singers Shanachie Records artists Greensleeves Records artists Trojan Records artists