Two people who stood by Gregory Isaacs through thick and thin were his wife June and music producer Tad Dawkins. With today being the 10th anniversary of his death, they still keep The Cool Ruler’s’ flame burning.
Isaacs, known for lovers rock staples such as All I Have is Love, Love is Overdue, Soon Forward and Night Nurse, died October 25, 2010 in London. He was 60.
June was training to be a teacher when she first met Gregory at Randy’s record store in Kingston, the Jamaica capital, in the early 1980’s. They married in December, 1983.
Today, she heads the Gregory Isaacs Foundation which has donated money to basic schools, homes for abandoned children and persons recovering from drug abuse which Gregory battled for years.
“We started the Foundation one year after he died. I found receipts for places where he had helped and we decided it would be good to continue that positive work,” said June.
One of her biggest projects is Red Rose For Gregory, a Valentine’s Day show that takes place in Kingston. It has become a calendar event with acts like Sanchez, The Melodians and Deniece Williams.
Part proceeds from Red Rose For Gregory go to the Patricia House, a facility for persons battling substance abuse.
Dawkins recalls first working with Isaacs in 1981 on the song, Love is Over Due. In all, the singer did five albums for Dawkins’ company, Tad’s International Record. One of them, Brand New Me, was nominated for a Best Reggae Album Grammy in 2009.
According to Dawkins, “I would describe it (relationship with Isaacs) as brethren and business partnership.” He added two things stood out about Gregory.
“His unique style of singing and how he would coin a song on the spot,” said Dawkins.
Since Isaacs’ death, Tad’s International Record has released compilation albums such as The Originals and Gregory Isaacs at African Museum. Dawkins said his last conversation with the singer was about another project.
“The last time we spoke was early 2010. He sent a message to get in touch while he was in England and we had a discussion with the intention to record another album when he returned from England later that year. However, unfortunately he died,” said Dawkins.
June and Gregory separated in 2003 but were on good terms when they last saw each other, just before he left for the United Kingdom for surgery in September, 2010. Their final conversation, by phone, was when he informed her from London that the procedure was postponed.
Despite his challenges with drug addiction, June prefers to remember her husband’s bright side.
“He was a perfect father and a perfect husband who provided for his family,” she said.
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