1960s

Phyllis Dillon signed to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label in 1965 and wrote her first single, the beautiful ballad "Don't Stay Away" which was released the following year and was an instant local success.

Horace Hinds, later to change his name to Horace Andy first ever record, "Black Man's Country" was produced by Phil Prat in 1966

The Heptones debut single, "Gunmen Coming to Town" was released on Ken Lack's Caltone Records label in 1966

Vintage Poster: 1966 'The Sparkling Stage Show' featuring Derrick Harriott, The Techniques, The Maytals & more

Roy Shirley recorded "Hold Them" in 1966, which became the first 'one-drop' recording, providing the cornerstone of the rocksteady beat.

In 1966 Derrick Harriott started his own record sop in Kingston located at 125 King Street, where he started to distribute records for himself. Today he owns and operates a record shop in Twin Gates Plaza (Constant Spring Road) in Kingston/.

Bob Andy's first solo hit record was "I've Got to Go Back Home," (Studio One) in 1966.

"Fattie Fattie" was The Heptones first Studio One single in 1966

Bob Andy’s first solo hit record was "I've Got to Go Back Home" (1966)

Toots and the Maytals won the first-ever Jamaican Independence Festival Popular Song Competition with their original song "Bam Bam" in 1966

Ras Michael (Dadawah) was the first member of the Rastafari movement to have a reggae radio program in Jamaica, The Lion of Judah Time program first aired in 1967 on the JBC.

August 27th 1967 article about the first Jamaican Rocksteady group to tour Great Britain consisting of Rolando Alphanso and The Soul Vendors, Ken Boothe and Alton Ellis

Vintage poster: Jamaica Festival Song 1967 The Jamaicans: Ba Ba Boom song won that year (http://jamaicansmusic.com/artists/profile/The_Jamaicans)

Errol Dunkley recorded his first big hit, You Gonna Need Me, for producer Jo Gibbs on his Amalgamated record label in 1967.

"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt, originally performed by the Jamaican group The Paragons, with John Holt as lead singer. It was rediscovered in 1980, when it became a US/UK number one hit for the American band Blondie.

In 1967 Derrick Harriott produced "Stop That Train" with Keith and Tex which was later made popular by Peter Tosh's version of the track

Ken Boothe achieved his biggest hit in 1967 with the single "Puppet On A String" produced by Sir Coxsone Dodd (Studio 1)

Desmond Dekker's scored his first real hit with "007 (Shanty Town)" in 1967. The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon and he also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene. The song was a Top 15 hit in the UK.

Hopeton Lewis sang the first 'herb' song ever recorded in Jamaica, "Cool Collie" (1967).

“Red, Red Wine” is a song written and performed by Neil Diamond in 1968. Tony Tribe covered the song in 1969 in a reggae-influenced style, and UB40 covered the song in 1983 in a lighter reggae-style. It became the first reggae hit by a pop musician.