My Boy Lollipop singer Millie Small has died this week, aged 73.
She had suffered a stroke, according to her friend Chris Blackwell.
The Jamaican singer was most famous for her hit single My Boy Lollipop, which was country’s first million-selling single.
Chris, who co-produced the record, said of Millie: “I would say she’s the person who took ska international because it was her first hit record.
“It became a hit pretty much everywhere in the world. I went with her around the world because each of the territories wanted her to turn up and do TV shows and such, and it was just incredible how she handled it.
She had suffered a stroke, according to her friend Chris Blackwell (Image: Daily Mirror)
“She was such a sweet person, really a sweet person. Very funny, great sense of humour. She was really special,” he added.
Small was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. Her career began by winning the Vere Johns Opportunity Hour talent contest, which she won at the age of twelve.
Wanting to pursue a career as a singer she moved to live with relatives in Love Lane in Kingston.
The Jamaican singer was most famous for her hit single My Boy Lollipop (Image: Michael Ochs Archives)
In her teens, she recorded a duet with Owen Gray – Sugar Plum – in 1962 and later recorded with Roy Panton for Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One record label as ‘Roy and Millie’. They had a local hit with We’ll Meet.
My Boy Lollipop was doubly significant in British pop history. It was the first major hit for Island Records and Small was the first artist to have a hit that was recorded in the bluebeat style.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
