A graduate of the big ‘yaad’ jam sessions that produced some of reggae’s greatest artistes and musicians, Audley Rollen began recording in the late 1960s when talent, not image, counted.
He still goes about recording in that old-school style. The formula paid off last year with the song Never Knew Love Till You, which topped reggae charts in South Florida and New York
Rollen, a former member of The Emotions and Youth Professionals, is an ordained minister of religion. He gives praise to God on a rocksteady track he co-wrote with his wife Dawn.
“The success of Never Knew Love Till You did not surprise me because as a composer when you create a masterpiece you know You get that completely satisfaction feeling, and if it makes you feel that way it’ll make others feel the same way too,” said Rollen, who lives in South Florida. “After it was released the requests for interviews kept coming from everywhere, and one of the surprising questions interviewers would ask is, ‘what gives you the courage to write an original song in a day when covers and versions of old riddims is the order of the day?’ And I would tell them that I get more joy and satisfaction from writing and creating new songs more than anything else, and that I prefer sessions and not versions.”
Rollen followed-up with Close to You which, along with Never Knew Love, will be on his new album, scheduled for release early this year.
Audley Rollen began performing as a pre-teen in the late 1950s on the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour. A decade later, he was recording for producers including Johnny “JJ” Johnson, Keith Hudson and Lloyd “Matador” Daley.
While living in East Kingston during the early 1970s, he was part of a cast of artistes and musicians who hung out at Jacques and Langston roads. That crew included drummer Benbow Creary, saxophonist Richard “Dirty Harry” Hall, keyboardist Bernard “Touter” Harvey, singers Leroy Brown and Milton Henry and bass player Robbie Shakespeare.
Rollen said Shakespeare’s death in December at age 68 was a damper on an otherwise fulfilling year.
“For as much joy and elation that 2021 brought, it also brought regret and sadness, because in I lost my brother Robert Shakespeare. Robert and I were members of the first two bands we both played in The Hippy Boys and The Youth Professionals from 1969-1973 and we maintained a close brotherhood until his passing. I still can’t believe he’s passed, he’ll be missed.”
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