Blurb:

He recorded for a short time under the outrageous pseudonym William Shakespeare,
and is sometimes called “Jah Toot’ ”, in recognition of a broken tooth
received in an encounter with a policeman. But the adored reggae superstar Gregory
Isaacs is known to his legion of fans by the accolade The Cool Ruler, or simply
by his first name, without there being any doubt of the Gregory in question. Born
in 1950 in Kingston, Gregory Anthony Isaacs lived a hardscrabble life that was
brightened by a love of music. He began singing in his teens and by the end of
the 1960s, boosted by an appearance on the popular Vere Johns Opportunity Hour
radio show, he endeavored to go pro. Brought into recording by bandleader Byron
Lee, he recorded short stints as half of a duo and then as a member of a trio. But
success eluded him. Rather than trying a quartet next, he wisely went solo. A
handful of singles recorded in 1970 for several producers included his first hit, ‘All
I Have Is Love’, for Rupie Edwards. There was no turning back. He became one of
the greatest solo stars ever in reggae, his popularity in Jamaica only surpassed by
Dennis Brown and Bob Marley