Goodbye Alton Ellis, O.D., and thank you

They say that once the tear has fallen,
the willow cries eternally...

So tell me where, my weeping willow
and if we'll ever meet again...

They say the willow cries for someone
and that's when someone's heart is broken...

cry not for me, my willow tree
don't shed your tears eternally
cause I have found the love I've searched for I need your tears no more, no more

I remember the first time I really heard Mr. Ellis. I had some old Treasure Isle compilation LPs; and they included "Willow Tree" (lyrics above) and "Remember that Sunday". In the spirit of classic Jamaican record-making, one of the records was mislabeled, so I did not know that Alton Ellis performed both songs. Several years later, I went to Florida to visit my father, and we went to a "Jamaican Vintage" concert in a church. The place was full of 50+ year old Jamaicans and young skinheads. It was one of the best musical events I ever had the privilege to attend. One of the performers was Alton Ellis...and his performance was flawless.

As the years wore on I found myself settling in on rocksteady being my favorite genre of Jamaican music; and Alton Ellis was "Mr. Rocksteady". But even outside of this, I must say that there are other reasons why Alton is special. In my life, I have listened to a lot (ok that's an understatment maybe!) of Jamaican musicians; and they love to copycat. I don't see this as a bad thing, because hey, imitation is one of the best forms of flattery, no? But seriously, very few Jamaican singers sound truly unique. I mean this is why no one is up in arms about Sean Paul sounding so much like Super Cat (yes, I still can't get over this...it's just me, I know!). But the only performer that sounded even remotely close to Alton was his sister Hortense.

I also saw Alton on several film interviews and also quoted in several books and articles. He was always, always a joy to look at and listen to. He spoke very lucidly and refined. He had a smile that was 'right there' and had a very engaging demeanor. He reminded me of that older uncle you have in your family who used to be a lawyer or doctor or something else very professional and refined. This is also a rare thing to find among Jamaican musicians; take Bob Marley for example, the man gave horrible interviews...but still several notches about Lee "Scratch" Perry...whose interviews are a complete waste of time for everyone involved.

There aren't many singers, of any background, who can sing to reveal their sould a bit. The kind of singers where the music just takes a back seat to them. The kind of singers who can lay out a song like an intimate conversation. You have Al Green, Etta James, John Lennon, Toots Hibbert and Alton Ellis. So thank you...for sharing your talents, for your devotion to the art form and sticking with it for so long (G-d knows you did not get rich from it). You are missed :-(