Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker (Desmond Dacres, 1941–2006): Kingston ska and reggae singer. “Israelites” (UK No. 1, US No. 9, 1969), “007 (Shanty Town),” “It Mek,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”
Kingston
Desmond Adolphus Dacres was born on July 16, 1941, in Saint Andrew Parish, Greater Kingston, and was raised going to church with his grandmother and aunt. After his mother died he lived in St. Mary and St. Thomas, trained as a tailor, then came back to Kingston and worked as a welder. His co-workers heard him singing on the job and pushed him to take it seriously.
Beverley's
In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One and Duke Reid at Treasure Isle and got turned down by both. Leslie Kong at Beverley's signed him. While he waited on his first release he told Kong about another young welder, Bob Marley, and Marley cut his first songs for Kong in 1962. Dekker's own first hit, "Honour Your Mother and Father," came in 1963, and "King of Ska" made him one of the biggest stars on the island. He formed Desmond Dekker & the Aces with the Howard brothers on backing vocals.
Rude boy
"007 (Shanty Town)" (1967) made him a rude boy hero in Jamaica and a mod favorite in Britain, where it went to No. 14. It later ran on The Harder They Come soundtrack.
Israelites
"Israelites," released in 1968, topped the UK chart in April 1969 and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 that June, one of the first reggae records to hit in America. "It Mek" went to No. 7 in the UK the same year, and the Jimmy Cliff song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" went to No. 2 in 1970. He moved to England for good in 1969.
Later years
After Kong died in 1971 the hits slowed, but "Israelites" charted again in 1975. In the 2 Tone years he signed to Stiff for Black & Dekker (1980) and the Robert Palmer-produced Compass Point (1981), and in 1993 he cut King of Kings with the Specials. Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack at home in Thornton Heath, south London, on May 25, 2006. He was 64.
Watch

Discography
Studio albums 19
Collaborative albums 1
Compilations 19
Albums on Breakbeat Archive
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