After the devastating lost of Amy Winehouse (whom I will be doing a post and video on later), many people have been talking about the legend and mystery behind the 27 Club. This, being a group of entertainers that died at the age of 27, like Amy. Indeed this is a very eerie, yet common coincidence with artists. But it just recently came to my attention that another artist died at this age ,as well. The late, GREAT Jacob "Killer" Miller.
Jacob Miller was one of Reggae's rising stars throughout the 70s. Born in Mandeville, Jamaica in 1952, he soon moved to Kingston where he began to recognize his love for Reggae music. At the age of 16, he began to record at Studio One, a legendary record label and studio, and began to cut songs for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Augustus Pablo. There he recorded hits like, "Love Is A Message (Keep On Knocking)", "Who Say Jah No Dread" and "Each One Teach One". When 1974 rolled around, he then joined the well known Reggae group, Inner Circle, that were known throughout Jamaica for their covers of American Pop songs. After this union, things took off. With songs like, "Tired Fi Lick Weed Inna Bush", "We a Rockers" and "Tenement Yard" being birthed from this group, they knew they could make no wrong steps.
And although Jacob was notably recognized for his music, it was his faith in Rastafarianism and his love for his African roots and culture that drove him to be the person that he was. During this time, there were many artists that claimed to be Rastas and down for "Rasta livity", but many people felt that they were frauds. Jacob was all about reality and the de-commercialization of Jamaican culture and you would often hear him talk about it in his songs and during performances. He was a true activist in his own right and had a beautiful spirit that people loved and were attracted to.
As he continually made music, he was also featured in the 1978 film, Rockers. This film single handedly introduced the world to Reggae music at its height throughout the 70s. Jacob and many other Reggae artists and bands; such as, Gregory Issacs, Leroy Smart, Kiddus I, Big Youth, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace and Inner Circle were featured in this film that has went down in history as one of the greatest documentaries to display Jamaican culture and the true roots of Reggae music.
Things could go nowhere but up for Jacob Miller. But in 1980, after Jacob was involved in a terrible car accident, he died at the age of 27. Until this day, people still talk about how devastating his death was and how his future was so promising. There was no other artist like Jacob, his music, his spirit and his voice are incomparable to any other artist that were out then and even now. I highly recommend that you all view the videos that I have posted of Jacob, he was truly one of a kind. We will continually life his spirit up as one of the greatest Reggae artists to ever do it!
