Famous Jamaican Reggae Singers

Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who sold 20 million records in his career. He was the first international star to come from the ‘Third World’ and is considered one of the forerunners of reggae. A fusion of reggae, ska and rocksteady was his music’s hallmark. Marley died due to cancer at the age of 36.

Jamaican reggae singer Orville Richard Burrell, better known as Shaggy, has delivered international hits such as It Wasn't Me and In The Summertime. The two-time Grammy-winning artist was also bestowed with the Jamaican Order of Distinction. He was part of the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm.

Jamaican reggae/dancehall musician Vybz Kartel, also known as Worl' Boss, soared to fame with hits such as Romping Shop and Summer Time. In 2014, he was convicted of the murder of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams and received a life sentence. However, he continues to release music from prison.

Stephen Marley is a Jamaican-American musician best known for his collaborations with his brothers Damian and Ziggy Marley. Stephen, the son of Bob Marley, is a multiple-time Grammy Award winner and a successful musician, both in the Jamaican and American music industry.

Grace Latoya Hamilton, better known by her stage name Spice, is a dancehall singer, songwriter, and recording artist. She is one of the world's most popular female dancehall artists and is dubbed the Queen of Dancehall. Also known for her philanthropic efforts, Spice established the Grace Hamilton Women Empowerment Foundation in 2018, in an attempt to uplift young women.

Jamaican reggae musician Gregory Isaacs, also known as the Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover, soared to fame with the track Night Nurse. He excelled in both romantic ballads and socially relevant songs. He sold marijuana in his early days and had a lifelong drug problem. He was also once imprisoned for possessing firearms.

Cedella Booker was a Jamaican singer best remembered as the mother of Bob Marley. Booker is credited with conceiving and creating an annual music event, which came to be known as the 9 Mile Music Festival. While Marley helped popularize the festival, Cedella Booker helped spread the legend of Marley far and wide by authoring two books on her son.

Toots Hibbert was a Jamaican singer-songwriter best remembered for his association with the musical group Toots and the Maytals where he was the lead vocalist. A pioneer of reggae music, Toots Hibbert helped establish the fundamentals of reggae over a course of his six decade-long career. His song Do the Reggay is credited as the origin of the name reggae.

Arguably the most popular Jamaican reggae singer of his time, Dennis Brown popularized what is now known as lovers rock. The Grammy-nominated singer started singing at age 9 and later soared to fame with tracks such as Africa. He had a lifelong struggle with drugs and of a lung collapse.

Winston Rodney, better known as Burning Spear, is one of the most popular roots reggae singers from Jamaica. He has often depicted Rastafarianism in his works. Along with Rupert Willington, he soared to fame with the track Door Peep. The 2-time Grammy winner is best known for the album Calling Rastafari.

Bounty Killer is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae deejay. One of the most popular and aggressive dancehall deejays of the '90s, Bounty Killer is also widely regarded as one of the greatest dancehall lyricists. He is also well-known for his feuds with popular contemporaries like Beenie Man.

Koffee is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, deejay, rapper, and guitarist. She is best known for her 2019 extended play Rapture, which earned her the prestigious Grammy Award, making her the only woman and youngest person to receive the award under the Best Reggae Album category.

Barrington Levy is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist. He is best known for his 2015 album Acousticalevy, which earned him a Grammy Award nomination under the Best Reggae Album category in 2016. Over the course of his illustrious career, Barrington Levy has also collaborated with other popular artistes like Bounty Killer and Snoop Dogg.

Busy Signal is a Jamaican musician, songwriter, producer, and deejay. He has released several successful albums, such as Reggae Music Again and Parts of the Puzzle. Also an entrepreneur, Busy Signal announced his own clothing line in 2011. He made headlines the following year when he was arrested and extradited to the US where he faced cocaine-related charges.

Alton Ellis was a Jamaican singer and songwriter best remembered as one of the innovators of a Jamaican music genre called rocksteady. Nicknamed the Godfather of Rocksteady, Alton Ellis was made an inductee of the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2006 for his contribution to Jamaican music.

Max Romeo is a Jamaican reggae recording artist whose songs have been featured on several music charts in the United Kingdom and in his home country. In 1968, Max Romeo released his single Wet Dream, which gave rise to a new style of reggae.

Junior Delgado was a reggae singer best remembered for his roots style, a subgenre of reggae. He achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s with the release of hit albums like Dance a Dub and Taste of the Young Heart. He was also imprisoned for 18 months in the 1980s for a drug-related offence. Junior Delgado died at age 46.

Dobby Dobson was a Jamaican record producer and singer whose contribution to reggae music earned him the prestigious Order of Distinction from the Governor-General of Jamaica in 2011. Dobby Dobson was also featured in a 2009 documentary titled Dobby Dobson: An Interview with Jamaica's Music Ambassador.