Blackwell

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica's home-grown musical maestro, Chris Blackwell, upstaged Beatles founder, Sir George Martin, American Idol's Simon Cowell, and 17 other big names copping the award for the UK's most influential man of music over the last 50 years at the 2009 Music Week Awards.

Coalition PR founder, the late Rob Partridge, shared the spotlight with Blackwell, winning the prestigious Strat award.

Blackwell, a British who introduced Bob Marley and The Wailers to the world when he signed them to Island Records in 1972, was selected from a list of 20 leading UK-based executives, including Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Glastonbury Festival guru Michael Eavis. Virgin Records founder Richard Branson, legendary record producer Mickie Most and Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant were also on the shortlist, said a BBC report.

50 years of Music Week magazine

The awards, held Wednesday night in London, marked 50 years of Music Week magazine. Blackwell's Island Records is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. Blackwell was not at the ceremony in England, but in a video message from his Island Outpost Strawberry Hills property in St Andrew, he reportedly described the award as "unbelievable".

Responding to questions from The Sunday Gleaner on Thursday night, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree said this latest tribute gave him a great feeling, looking back at how humbly Island Records started and how much it changed the music industry in England and elsewhere. Blackwell started his company with £1,000 in 1959.

The growth he speaks of obviously includes the impact he made by opening the gateway to the world for reggae legend Bob Marley and British group U2. Yet, during the interview, those two powerful names were placed in the middle of a long and impressive list of artistes who helped him earn the award.

The likes of Ernest Ranglin, Lauren Aitken, Wildred Jackie-Edwards, Lord Kitchener, Millie Small, Jimmy Cliff, Cat Stevens, Toots, Grace Jones, Melissa Etheridge and Angelique Kidjo were given as much credit.

"I learned from everybody I worked with and it was a joyous trip," he reminisced.

And even after acknowledging a legacy and a reputation that saw him reaching the pinnacle of his career in the mid-1980s, Blackwell said he never imagined he would have had this immense impact on the music industry, and so, he was somewhat surprised by the award.

"They (the other nominees) are indisputably the top in their field," he said, "But there were so many diverse artistes whose careers were enhanced by Island Records, in some cases by simply giving them the freedom to create."

Road to success

Blackwell pointed out that the road to success was not without its challenges.

"I was always trying to keep afloat. Island was an independent company fighting against the major companies. It was very hard at times," he revealed.

That hardship only served to strengthen Blackwell and Island Records and his love affair with music. Although he sold Island Records in 1989, Blackwell admitted that music is a part of his soul. "I could not imagine living without it. In our hotel properties there will be more and more music," he said.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com