Peter Price signing copies of his Gregory Isaacs biography on April 13 in Kingston, Jamaica.

‘The Cool Ruler: The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs’, a biography on the legendary reggae singer, was launched in Kingston, Jamaica on April 13 at Triple T Eatery. It is written by Peter Price.

The high school teacher’s objective is to expose young people to the music of Isaacs, who died in October, 2010 at age 60.

“I aim to reach both traditional lovers and admirers of reggae music, and in particular lovers rock as espoused by Gregory Isaacs. Also, for the younger persons, so that they can get to know more  about Gregory Isaacs, his numerous songs and great songwriting and singing talents,” said Price.

One year ago, he was part of a group that traveled to the United Kingdom for the six-show run of ‘The Cool Ruler: The Musical’, a stage production starring Terrence Wallen as Isaacs, who died in London in October 2010 at age 60.

Like that show, ‘The Incredible Life Story of Gregory Isaacs’ covers the singer’s triumphs, which includes numerous hit songs like ‘Night Nurse’ and ‘Soon Forward’. It also documents his long battle with cocaine.

Isaacs’ wife, June Isaacs, who attended the Kingston launch, says Price’s book does her husband justice.

“It’s incredibly important that Gregory’s life is documented. Legacy matters, if we don’t tell our own stories, someone else will, or worse, they get forgotten. This book is a truthful account of his life: the victories, the struggles, and the lessons that shaped him,” she said. 

WRITTEN BY HOWARD CAMPBELL