Johnny Nash

Born August 19, 1940 in Houston, Texas, singer Johnny Nash began his musical career performing in the choir of his local Baptist church and eventually started writing songs of his own. He released his debut, self-titled album in 1958 and with it his first single “A Teenager Sings the Blues.” In the '50s he also showed his on-screen talents, appearing in 1959's Take a Giant Step and, the following year, Key Witness. In the 1960s Nash returned to his musical roots, releasing “Let's Move and Groove Together” a top 5 R&B hit in 1965 followed by 1968’s “Hold Me Tight”, a top 10 hit on both the R&B and pop chart. He moved to Jamaica in the mid 1960s and formed a music label there, eventually signing such future reggae superstars as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. In 1972, Nash travelled to London where he recorded his biggest-selling hit “I Can See Clearly Now”. The reggae-inspired single rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, the Adult Contemporary Chart and also received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A. He receded from the spotlight after the 70s, attempting a comeback with 1986’s Here Again, but the album underperformed. He worked to remaster his recordings for the digital age, and passed away on October 6, 2020.