Paul Blake (19 October 1965[1] – 18 May 2017),[2] better known as Frankie Paul, was a Jamaican
dancehallreggaeartist. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'.
Biography
Born in Jamaica in 1965,[3] Blake was born blind but as a child had his sight partially restored by an operation on a hospital ship.[4][5] He sang for, and impressed
Stevie Wonder when Wonder visited the school that Blake attended, prompting him to pursue a singing career.[4]
Adopting the stage name Frankie Paul, he first found fame in the early 1980s, and he recorded prolifically throughout the decade.[4] He
recorded for virtually every
producer/
studio in Jamaica at some time, and was known to release several
albums a year.
"Frankie Paul has a voice that improves with each release and, although initially compared with
Dennis Brown, he has evolved a strange nasal, throaty style that makes him sound much older. It's the sheer exuberance of his best performances that give away his youthfulness, and his two
London appearances have been joyous occasions."[6]
Notable works of Frankie Paul include the popular "Sara" and "Worries in the Dance".[7]
Paul resided in
The Gambia from 1994.[7] In January 2016 he underwent surgery to amputate a foot and part of his leg.[8]
^
abcLarkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin Books. pp. 219–220.
ISBN0-7535-0242-9.
^Moskowitz, David V. (2006). Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Press. p. 233.
ISBN0-313-33158-8.