The Maytals

The Maytals helped sculpt both the sound of reggae and the sound of their home island of Jamaica, building a legacy and body of work nearly unparallelled in its influence. Formed by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, Henry “Raleigh” Gordon and Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias in Kingston in the early ‘60s, the Maytals’ spirited debut single, “Hallelujah”, arrived as an early harbinger of ska. For the next two decades, the group’s blend of ska, pop, gospel, reggae and rocksteady kept them at the vanguard of Jamaican music. Frontman Hibbert’s soulful vocals drove the success of singles like 1968’s “Do the Reggay”, which gave the genre its name, and “54-46 Was My Number” as well as 1969’s “Monkey Man” and 1970’s “Pressure Drop”, which influenced The Specials, The Clash and many others. The group’s fondness for experimentation and embrace of different styles like rock, R&B and country led them to craft some of reggae’s most revered albums, including 1973’s Funky Kingston and 1974’s In The Dark. They called it quits after 1981’s Knockout! and Hibbert went solo, eventually reforming the group in the early ‘90s and performing until his death in 2020 at the age of 77.