Derrick Harriott, the Jamaican singer, songwriter and producer whose career ran from the earliest days of ska through rocksteady and into reggae, died at his home early on Saturday, October 24. He was 87. Dorrel Mattocks, who runs the Derrick Harriott Music Store in St Andrew, confirmed the death to The Gleaner, noting that Harriott had recently returned home after time in hospital.
A voice with two registers
Born in Kingston on February 6, 1939, Harriott stood out for his ability to switch between a warm tenor and a powerful falsetto, a range that let him score hits in very different styles. He began as a schoolboy at Excelsior High School, teaming with classmate Claude Sang Jr as the duo Sang and Harriott, whose debut “Lollipop Girl” caught on with sound-system crowds.
In 1958 he formed The Jiving Juniors, whose songs included “Over the River,” later a big ska hit for producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. After moving to New York in 1959, Harriott kept recording in Jamaica and even launched a second, New York-based version of the group in 1962.
Crystal Records and the producer’s chair
His solo run, starting with “I Care,” produced songs such as “Solomon,” “Walk the Streets,” “The Loser” and the falsetto showcase “Sugar Dandy.” Just as important was his work behind the desk. Through his Crystal label, launched in 1962, he produced records for Dennis Brown, Big Youth, The Ethiopians, Keith & Tex and The Kingstonians, and his sessions at King Tubby’s studio tied him to the circle that shaped early reggae and dub. Dennis Brown’s first single, “Lips of Wine,” came out on Crystal in 1968.
Jamaica honored Harriott with the Order of Distinction in 2009, and the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. According to the Jamaica Observer, he is survived by his sister, eight children, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His death adds to a hard year for Jamaican music, which has also lost Sly Dunbar and Stephen “Cat” Coore in 2026.
Photo: File photo via The Jamaica Gleaner (https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20261025/reggae-pioneer-derrick-harriott-dies-87).
Source: The Jamaica Gleaner; additional details from the Jamaica Observer.