Laurel Aitken

At 78 years old, Laurel Aitken physical status not available right now. We will update Laurel Aitken's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Lorenzo Aitken (22 April 1927 – 17 July 2005), better known by the stage name Laurel Aitken, was a prominent Caribbean singer and one of Jamaican ska music's pioneers.

He is often described as the "Godfather of Ska."

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Career

Aitken and his family immigrated to Jamaica in 1938, born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent. He began performing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour and became a well-known nightclub entertainer. "Nebuchnezer," "Sweet Chariot," (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"), and "Baba Kill Me Goat" were among his first recordings in the late 1950s. "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila," Aitken's 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of Chris Blackwell's first Jamaican pop music album to be released in the United Kingdom. "Low Down Dirty Girl" and "More Whisky," two more Jamaican rhythm and blues orientated singles from this period, were among Duke Reid's "More Whisky" and "More Whisky."

Aitken first came from Brixton, London, and was a member of the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. Before returning to the United Kingdom, where he started working with Pama Records, he worked for Duke Reid, with support from the Skatalites on tracks like "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer." He produced hits like "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants," which led to increased interest outside of Jamaica and the United Kingdom. This established his reputation as one of Ska's top artists, earning him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska and later Boss Skinhead. He built a devoted fanbase not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads, and other ska followers. In the 1950s and 1970s, he had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries, including Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Hot Lead, and Dice. Singer Bobby Aitken was named on some of his albums as a B-sider. "Loch Ness Monster," "Dracula, Prince of Darkness," and "The Hole" were just three of Aitken's talk-over/deajay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror. In 1970, Aitken and his wife settled in Leicester, Leicester. His output slowed in the 1970s, and during this time, he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in Leicester, including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester, where he portrayed Lorenzo. Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart in 1980, with ska seeing a revival in the aftermath of the 2 Tone revival. (No. (60) was published on I-Spy Records (the label was created and operated by Secret Affair). Aitken's career included stints in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s, he converted his passions to dancehall. Until his death in 2005 from a heart attack, he appeared on occasion until his death. A blue plaque in his honour was unveiled at his Leicester home in 2007. On their 2014 record Honor Is All We Know Punk's "Everybody Suffering" appeared on Aitken's "Everybody Suffering."

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