Eric Donaldson Eric Donaldson, one of Jamaica's most accomplished falsetto voices, will forever be associated with the Jamaican Festival Song Competition, and in particular, with one of his five winning entries in that contest, 'Cherry Oh Baby', which won in 1971, and launched his career in reggae music. Donaldson attended school in Spanish Town before taking up a job as a house-painter, singing in his spare time. In 1964 he cut some unreleased sides for Studio One in Kingston, and in the mid-60s he formed vocal group the West Indians, alongside Leslie Burke and Hector Brooks. A collection of sides for producer J.J. Johnson produced one hit, 'Right On Time', in 1968. They also recorded for Perry, Lee ('Oh Lord') the following year, to negligible reaction. A name-change to the Killowatts and a succession of songs for J.J. Johnson and Daley, Lloyd 's Matador label ('Slot Machine', 'Real Cool Operator') failed to ignite the fire of fame and the group split. In 1970 Donaldson cut some sides for Alvin Ranglin's GG's label, the best of which was 'Lonely Night', and a trip to Dynamic Sounds studio for 'Never Going To Give You Up' again led nowhere, although it did bode well for the future. In 1971, apparently as a last stand, he entered the Festival Song Competition with 'Cherry Oh Baby'. By the day of the festival, he had enrolled the astute Tommy Cowan as manager, and the disc eventually sold an extraordinary 50,000 copies on Dynamic Records. While it has not been a smooth ride from that point, Donaldson has been periodically successful, releasing albums sporadically and recording a clutch of songs that are fondly remembered by reggae aficionados, notably 'Miserable Woman' (1972), 'What A Festival' (1973) and 'Freedom Street' (1977). Donaldson apparently still loves the festival, winning in 1971, 1977, 1978, 1984 and 1993, and he always seems ready to give his career a shot in the arm by appearing there. He now lives in Kent Village, Jamaica, where he runs the 'Cherry Oh Baby Go-Go Bar'. The song itself is perennially popular, and both UB40 and the Rolling Stones (The) have covered it. The rhythm remained popular in 1991, with over 30 new versions issued in Jamaica, including Donaldson's own update. -- Courtesy (Encyclopedia of Popular Music) --
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