Above: John Holt
By the Caribbean Journal staff
One of the titans of reggae, John Holt, passed away in London on Sunday.
Holt was a legend of rocksteady who first rose to prominence as part of the group The Paragons.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Holt was active for a half century.
“His accomplishments are significant and he must be considered in the vein as other reggae greats such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, and Gregory Isaacs,” Howard “Flagga” Duperly, one of the world’s leading experts on reggae, said in a statement to CJ. “He will be remembered (My opinion) as a true gentleman with a rare gift – a velvet voice – whose effortless delivery was charismatic, captivating and timeless.”
Holt was 67.