Veteran Jamaican vocalist “Pluto” Shervington passed away at his Kendall home in Miami from pneumonia-related complications on Friday (January 19), aged 73. 

Born Leighton Keith Shervington on August 13, 1950, in St Andrew, Pluto was introduced to music in 1965 and was in his blood for as long as he remembers himself and he was always determined to be a musician. 

At the age of sixteen while in High School, he joined his first band, The Presidents, in 1966. He left that band in 1967 and continued to follow his calling in music to become a member of THE HURRICANES for one year.

He released ‘I Man Bitter‘, two months following his 23rd birthday, which did very well, considering that it was banned from airplay by the Jamaican Government for its strong political lyrics. 

‘Ram Goat Liver‘ followed on its crest in 1974 with this catchy tune becoming a smash hit, remaining at #1 on the charts for three weeks. It ended up on the charts in seventeen Caribbean countries. ‘Dat‘ followed in 1974 and received similar success to ‘Ram Goat Liver‘. Pluto continued to put Jamaica on the map with his repeated hits.  

In 1974 Federal Records released ‘Ram Goat Liver‘ (the album). This humorous and amazing album sold 20,000 copies within the first six months of its release – an unheard-of feat in the seventies. He then released ‘Your Honor‘ in 1975, which received similar acclaim throughout the Caribbean, soaring to number one on multiple charts. He continued to ride the tip of the waves with his songs and with his words when he released ‘Play Mas‘, one of the first calypso albums produced in Jamaica, by a Jamaican. 

Pluto continued to change with the times when he co-produced ‘Dancing to My Own Heartbeat‘; a disco hit and number one in Jamaica. In November 1976, his song ‘DAT‘ went to be #1 on the British charts. Following the meteoric success of ‘Dat‘, Shervington travelled to London, appearing on BBC’s ‘TOP OF THE POPS’.

Godfather of Jamaican Jingles              

In 1972 after TOMORROW’S CHILDREN disbanded, Pluto started a business called ‘Sound Associates Limited’, located on Haining Road in New Kingston. It was a recording studio which provided radio and TV spots services for advertising agencies. He also wrote and produced jingles for most of the major advertising agencies such as Macmillan Advertising and Carter Gambrill Robinson (CGR).

Prior to 1972 jingles were composed and produced by musicians such as John McCloed, Carlos Malcolm, David Ogden, Boris Gardiner and Sonny Bradshaw. In 1973 Pluto moved the studio to Devon Road, where it really took off. 

Pluto found himself writing and producing, as well as recording an estimated seventy to eighty percent of the jingles that were heard on the Radio in Jamaica at that time. “It would be hard for me to say how the jingle business was back then because I pretty much started it. 

For the first time there was a business that concentrated on providing music for the Jamaican advertising industry, and it was all original pieces designed for the particular product” Pluto fondly remembered.

Being the most significant Jingle composer at the time in Jamaica, Pluto collaborated with others such as Grub Cooper and Peter Ashbourne to share the massive income of work with.

Pluto used a sixteen-track reel to reel recorder and a twenty-four-track mixing board which he had bought from Byron Lee.

Life in Miami with Pluto & Co.                           

At the same time as his Jingle Business was booming, his recording career with Federal Records was taking off, and he produced hits like ‘Ram Goat Liver‘, ‘Your Honour‘ and ‘I Man Born Ya‘ which rose to number one in several countries including England and Holland. This situation flourished until 1977 when he decided to migrate to Miami due to political shifts in Jamaica.

In Miami he started PLUTO & COMPANY, a six-piece dance band. From February 1982 until the year 2000, he played at ‘Sunday’s on the Bay’ in Key Biscayne, Florida. His eighteen years at ‘Sunday’s on the Bay’ brought thousands of people from different cultures to mingle and dance to his popular rhythms and soft voice.

In 1982, ‘Your Honor‘ simultaneously surged to #1 on the charts in Great Britain and in Holland. Pluto & Co. followed up by going on tour in June of 1982. Pluto & Co. toured throughout Great Britain, including Wales, Scotland, and Ireland for six weeks. In August of 1984, Pluto returned to Jamaica on tour and to perform at the Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay. 

Awards

In 2004, Shervington was awarded the ‘Living Legend’ award at King’s House in Jamaica, along with The Mighty Sparrow, Ernie Smith, David Rudder, Ken Lazarus and more. The band Pluto & Company has twice received the Caribbean Music Festival award for Florida’s best Caribbean dance band.

Pluto has four sons, two daughters and two grandchildren.

ALBUMS

1.    PLUTO’S REGGAE HITS

2.    RAM GOAT LIVER

3.    PLUTO AGAIN

4.    PLAY MAS

5.    RASS MAS

6.    LIVE AT SUNDAY’S, VOL. 1

7.    LIVE AT SUNDAY’S, VOL.2

8.    RHYTHM OF THE CITY

9.    PLUTO PURE GOLD

10. SECOND WIND

11.THE GOLD COLLECTION