Ernest Ranglin has a legacy that spans genres and generations.
As a session player for various Jamaican record labels – including the ever-influential Studio One and Island Records – his rhythmic guitar style helped drive the very inception of ska, and create the first bona fide global Jamaican hit, Millie Small's My Boy Lollipop. He also served as a mentor to some of the country's best-known musicians.
One of the artists that he worked with? One of the pioneers of reggae, and perhaps the genre's figurehead: Bob Marley.
"He was young when we started working together, but you could already tell that he had something," Ranglin tells Guitar World in a new interview.
“There was a drive, a presence. I helped guide him early on. I helped with his early tunes – It Hurts to be Alone and Simmer Down and a few others. He later wanted me to help him not only learn guitar but arrange.
“Well, I think he caught on,” he adds with a laugh.
Another Jamaican legend whose journey Ranglin was part of was the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Cliff. “I was Jimmy’s musical director for many years,” he asserts. “I helped him develop his true sound and guided and collaborated with him on songwriting.
“A lot of young musicians came through at that time – brimming with raw talent. I feel like I helped give it shape and structure.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Guitar World's full interview with Ernest Ranglin will be published in the coming weeks.
