In 1962, when Owen Gray settled in the United Kingdom, his native Jamaica gained independence from that country.

He was an established singer in his homeland, and it was not long before he made his mark in the UK, which had a growing West Indian populace.

Gray died on July 20 in London, his daughter Antoninette told Our Today. He was 86 and was recently discharged from hospital where he had been treated for his ailing health.

He was one of the Jamaican acts who helped make Ska popular in the UK, thanks to songs like Patricia, the first single released by a fledgling Island Records in 1960. Please Let Me Go was another song that earned him a following in the UK.

In addition to recording and writing hit songs, Gray mentored a teenage singer named Millie Small early in her career in Jamaica. Small is best known for My Boy Lollipop, which was a monster hit in 1964 in the UK and US.

Like most of his contemporaries, who settled in the UK during the 1960s, Gray maintained a strong following there and in other parts of Europe, where interest in Ska never waned. In the 1980s, he linked with music producer Anthony “Chips” Richards to record Hit After Hit After Hit, an album that revived his career.

In 2023, the Jamaican government awarded Gray the Order of Distinction (Officer class), Jamaica’s sixth-highest honour, for his contribution to the country’s music.

“I’m so blessed and I’m feeling proud! I want to thank all involved for remembering who I am,” he said at the time.