Jackie Mittoo (Donat Roy Mittoo) - 3 March 1948 - 16 Dec 1990
From The Canada Black Music Archives - Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican-Canadian keyboardist, songwriter, musical director, and pioneer of reggae music. Born in Jamaica, he was a founding member of the Skatalites, and the musical director of the Studio One record label. He showed an interest in music by the age of four, learning and excelling at the piano throughout his early youth [more]
From Discogs - Jackie was born in Brown's Town, St Ann, Jamaica and died at Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Canada. He first began playing professionally at the age of thirteen with various bands such as The Rivals and The Sheiks and it was around this time that he started hanging out at Federal Studios and playing with the cream of Jamaican's musicians who, from June 1964 would become known as the Skatalites [more]
Jason Ankeny, AllMusic Guide - Keyboard virtuoso Jackie Mittoo was among the true legends of reggae -- a founding member of the Skatalites and an extraordinarily prolific songwriter, he was perhaps most influential as a mentor to countless younger performers, primarily through his work as the musical director at the famed Studio One. Born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town, Jamaica on March 3, 1948, he began playing keyboards at the age of four, and was rarely far from a piano through his teen years, performing professionally in groups including the Vagabonds and the Vikings. He frequently skipped school to play with the house band at nearby Federal Studios, and it was there that he met producer Coxsone Dodd, who recruited Mittoo for recording sessions when the scheduled pianist failed to appear on time [more]
