Music producer and singer Leon Smillie aka Bachelor is committed to keeping his father, Jah Hammed’s musical legacy alive.
“My father was a peaceful and loving man; he was respected by everyone who knew him. Influenced by his Rastafarian faith, he was a beacon of hope for everyone in the community of Brownsville. During the 80s, and 90s this community was one of the toughest places to live, in Brooklyn; even today many people are still fearful of living there.”
In the late 1960s, Jah Hammed given name Cleveland Smillie relocated from St. Thomas to live in Brooklyn, New York. He was a member of the Outer Limits Band comprising Roland Alphonso, Cleon Douglas, Mikey Ranglin, Noel Alphonso, David Malcolm, Oneil Nanco, Chilla Clarke and Leroy Hussen.
After 10 years with Outer Limits, he went solo and scored a hit in 1977 with a single titled ‘Ordinary Natty’. Some of his other songs are ‘Finding My Way’, ‘Here I Come’, ‘The Ghetto’ and ‘Still Waters’. He passed away in New York in 2021.
“I am determined to keep my father’s legacy alive because he dedicated his life to taking care of his family and making a positive impact on the world by making uplifting reggae music. Since his passing, I’ve released several singles for him. I also plan to release more of his unreleased songs as well as some of the ones I’ve remixed and remastered.”
Bachelor says despite having a Doctorate in Business Administration and a corporate job he was inspired to get into the music business by his father.
“When I was a child, my father would take me to his rehearsals and recording sessions. This experience inspired me to get into music despite having a corporate job. At first, I wanted to play the drums, but my father introduced me to Roland Alphonso of the Skatalites who told me, “Your voice is an Instrument,” after that, I began singing, however, it took me a little while to release my first official recording.”
The hardworking producer/singer is currently promoting a new single for Jah Hammed titled ‘Boom Boom’ which was produced the Moving On rhythm. The project features songs from Lutan Fyah, Turbulence and Bachelor was released on the Total Satisfaction imprint in June.