About Desmond Dekker
Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group the Aces, he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites" (1968). Other hits include "007 " (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970). Despite achieving a record deal, it was two years before Dekker saw his first record released. In 1962 "Judge Not" and "One Cup Of Coffee" became the first recorded efforts of Marley, who retained gratitude, respect and admiration for Dekker for the rest of his life. The unsigned vocalist then auditioned for Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label and was awarded his first recording contract. Thomas, Dekker embarked on an apprenticeship as a tailor before returning to Kingston, where he became a welder.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.