About Lord Creator
Hometown
San Fernando, Trinidad
Born
August 21, 1935
Genre
Reggae
Kentrick Patrick was born in 1935 in San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies. As his imperious name suggests, Lord Creator began his career as a calypso singer. Some time in the mid- to late '50s, he arrived in Jamaica, just as the music scene was starting to take off. His smooth, honeyed tones were not ideal for the raucous jump to R&B soon to emerge from ska, but as a big band crooner in Jamaica, he had no equal. "Evening News" (1959) was his first huge hit, and it was a song to which he returned at several points during his career. The narrative of a barefoot child feeding his siblings by selling newspapers he could not even read had greater resonance at a time when Jamaica was struggling for its independence.
In 1962, his "Independent Jamaica" was the first single on Island Records in the U.K., although legend has it that Owen Gray's "Twist Baby," scheduled as Island 002, reached the shops first. "Don't Stay Out Late" (1963) was a major Jamaican hit, and made Lord Creator the island's biggest star at the time. "Little Princess" (1964) helped to maintain his status. He also released a calypso album for the Studio One label. However, he was overtaken by other smooth voices such as Ken Boothe and Bob Andy, both of whom offered more contemporary songs.
In 1969, Lord Creator teamed up with producer Clancy Eccles and recorded the single "Kingston Town," perhaps the finest sentimental reggae record ever released. By this time, Creator was in financial trouble and a week after recording the record, he borrowed $30 from Eccles. A couple of months later, Eccles spotted Creator in a Kingston street and the singer ran off. Eventually, Eccles caught him, and Creator immediately began to make excuses for not paying back the money he owed; Eccles explained that he owed Creator $1,000 in royalties for "Kingston Town." The record had sold thousands of copies in Britain without ever making the charts.
During the '70s, Lord Creator's croon became obsolete in a reggae music obsessed with roots, Rasta and heavy dub. He did record one powerful single in 1977, "Life," a new version of the 1967 single "Such Is Life." During the '80s, rumor had it that Creator had succumbed to a life as a homeless rum drinker on the streets of Kingston, and eventually Eccles helped to organize enough money for Creator to be returned to his family in Trinidad. In 1989, UB40 covered "Kingston Town," and Clancy Eccles and Creator were recruited to give their seal of approval in the accompanying video. While it seems sadly ironic that he never had the hit he deserved with his own version, at least UB40's success meant that a royalty check would go to the song's creator. Lord Creator died on June 30, 2023, at the age of 87. ~ TiVo Staff
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