Judy Mowatt

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Judy Mowatt (born in 1952) is a Jamaican singer.

She joined a singing trio called The Gaylettes in 1967. When the group split she continued as a solo act. She and Rita Marley first sang together when Marcia Griffiths needed some harmony vocals on a song she was recording at Studio One with Bob Andy... The trio settled on the name the I-Threes.

The evening that Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley had first worked with Marcia Griffiths at Studio One, Marcia Griffiths had been due to perform at a club in New Kingston called House of Chen: she asked them to sing harmony vocals with her on a song by The Supremes called "Remember Me." The audience was enraptured, and Bob Marley got to hear about it.

The performance had taken place close to the day when it was reported in the local press that Haile Selassie had died - on August 27, 1975. This, remembers Judy Mowatt, was a very sad, cold day in Jamaica. Some immediately lost their faith. But many more clung on, knowing that this was a false message the Bible had predicted.

"We were not afraid. We knew that it was not true. We knew that He had the power to disappear," Judy Mowatt said.

Soon after Rita Marley's daughter Sharon ran up to Bob Marley: "Is it true? Jah is dead?" Bob Marley denied it. A few days later he recorded "Jah Live," one of his most beautiful songs, in answer to Sharon's question. As soon as the recording was completed it was rush-released as a single in Jamaica.

In 1978 she teamed up with Freddie McGregor to produce the critically acclaimed "Black Woman." The album is a landmark as Judy became the first female reggae artist to produce or co-produce her own album. She followed up in 1982 with the strong "Only A Woman" album. She later became the first female to be nominated for a reggae grammy award.

She has claimed that Marley himself converted to Christianity on his deathbed (from cancer) in [[1981^[1].

She has a daughter with Jamaican singer, Freddie McGregor.

Formerly a member of the Rastafari movement^[2] in the late 1990s she converted to Christianity and now sings Gospel music. In 1998 she released her debut gospel album "Love" produced by Claude Evans who is known for producing Shinehead's "Rough & Rugged" album. In 2000 she released a project called "Soldiers Of Jesus Christ" which featured other reggae artists who became born again christians. The artists on that project include: Papa San, Lt. Stitchie, Chevelle Franklyn, Carlene Davis, Junior Tucker, Winston "Bello" Bell of Bello & Blacka fame, and Lady Junie. She released "Something Old, Something New" in 2002. This album featured some of her previous material as a secular artist as well as new songs and interpretations of traditional church music. Some of the songs she re-recorded were: "Many Are Called," and "Strength To Go Through." She also re-worded some of her previous songs like "Hold Them Jah" became "Hold Them Jesus", and "Sister's Chant" became "Mother's Call."