Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell ( born June 22, 1937 in London, England) is a rock music producer who has attained as the founder of Iceland Records fame.
Blackwell grew mostly on in Jamaica, where he also Iceland Records brought to life in 1959. The first published recording was a jazz album by pianist Lance Haywood from Bermuda. From 1960 Blackwell now began to produce mainly Jamaican pop music, with Laurel Aitken's Little Sheila he made a Number 1 hit on the island.
In 1962, an office add in the UK. The Spencer Davis Group and Millie Small were among the first artists who took Iceland under contract, also in the field of reggae had the label with Toots & the Maytals, the Skatalites and Jackie Edwards a good range of artists. After then signed 1967 Traffic in Iceland, the label rock began more and more to move toward. Until the early 1970s, Blackwell produced, among other albums by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Blind Faith, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Free, Cat Stevens and Roxy Music.
1973 Blackwell was then producer of Bob Marley's Catch a Fire, which Iceland then again began to publish reggae recordings, including that of Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Sly & Robbie and Third World. Marley was to remain until his death in 1981, one of the leading singers.
The late 1970s, Blackwell traveled then the U.S. to win there too performer for his label. Among the bands and musicians that Iceland had in the 1980s under contract, include U2, The Pogues, Robert Palmer, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Waits, Anthrax, The Cranberries and Julian Cope. With the sub-label Mango and King Sunny Ade Blackwell also brought world music to Iceland Records. In 1977 he founded the Bahamas Compass Point Studios.
In 1982 he produced on the Jamaica Music Film Countryman.
1989 Blackwell sold the label then to A & M Records and separated in 1997, completely from him. 2001 Blackwell was included in the category "Non - Performers " in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2004, he was honored with the Order of Jamaica, the fourth highest medal of Jamaica.
Together with trip hop musician Tricky founded Chris Blackwell 2007, a new record company called "Brown Punk Records ".