IN an era that produced boundless musical talent, Jacob Miller stood out during the 1970s, widely considered reggae’s golden age.

Arguably the music’s most versatile singer, Miller died in an auto accident in St Andrew on March 23, 1980 at age 27.

Jacob Miller died in an auto accident in St Andrew on March 23, 1980. He was 27.

Next month, the Garance Reggae Festival in France pays tribute to the portly Miller with a special segment featuring the Inner Circle band and musician Addis Pablo.

Miller recorded several hit songs and albums with Inner Circle. He also did some of his best work with Pablo’s father, the dub visionary Augustus Pablo.

His songs with Inner Circle were mainstream. They include Tenement Yard, Tired Fe Lick Weed In a Bush and the disco-ish Everything Great. The Pablo sessions, engineered by Osbourne ‘King Tubby’ Ruddock, had underground appeal.

Keep On Knocking, False Rasta and Each One Teach One were among the songs he did for Pablo’s Rockers International label.

Roots singer Kiddus-I says he first met Miller in 1971 when he (Miller) was a struggling artist.

“I saw the power of the youth from then. He had the charisma and charm, but he was also insightful,” says Kiddus-I. “The energy he transferred to the audience was awesome.”

Born in Manchester but raised in Kingston, Miller began recording in his early teens. His first hit, Love Is a Message, was done for Studio One in the late 1960s.

Though his career was on the up, Miller joined Inner Circle in 1975 and helped raise the band’s profile. They recorded two albums for Capitol Records, another for Island Records and appeared in the 1978 low-budget movie, Rockers.

He was returning to a jam session in Kingston (he reportedly left to buy cane) when his vehicle crashed along Hope Road.

Kiddus-I, who starred with Miller in Rockers, says he was in the United States when he heard news of Miller’s death.

“Ian Lewis (of Inner Circle) call an’ tell mi. Dat was a tough one, ’cause Jakes was a great youth.”

There have been a number of Jacob Miller ‘best of’ albums in the last 15 years. They include Who Say Jah No Dread, a collection of his songs with Augustus Pablo.

Collectors Classics covers Miller’s hits with Inner Circle and other independent producers.