With a voice that could glide from velvet smooth to dancehall grit, Frankie “Dancehall” Paul was one of Jamaica’s most distinctive and prolific singers. Fans affectionately called him “Jamaica’s Stevie Wonder” — not simply because he was visually impaired, but because of the sheer soul and versatility that defined his sound. Across four decades, Frankie Paul built a body of work that bridged reggae and digital dancehall, shaping an era that still echoes across the world.
Early Life and the Birth of a Star
Born Paul Blake in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 19, 1965, Frankie Paul was blind at birth but grew up with a clear vision for his future. He attended the Salvation Army School for the Blind, where he learned music by ear, alongside lessons in cooking, acting, and performance. During a 2016 interview on RJR 94 FM, he recalled those early days fondly, saying that weekends were spent rehearsing with a band called The Mighty Tides, preparing for cabaret shows at hotels and local events.
It was at this school that his life took a pivotal turn. During a visit to Jamaica, Stevie Wonder met the young singer, listened to him perform, and encouraged him to pursue music. “Stevie Wonder came to my school, brought a Braille copier, and told me to keep going,” Frankie later shared on RJR. That encounter not only inspired him but cemented his nickname — “Jamaica’s Stevie Wonder” — a title he would live up to with every note.
By the age of 13, Frankie had already begun recording with High Times Records, and his first songs, including “Babylon Man”, “The Rich and the Poor” and “African Princess”, hinted at a rare blend of soul and conviction. His stage name, he once explained, came from his admiration for Frankie Beverly and Maze and New York radio icon Frankie Crocker — “I wanted something flashier than ‘Singer Paul,’ so they said, why not Frankie Paul?” he recalled.
The Rise of a Dancehall Pioneer
By the early 1980s, Jamaica’s music scene was undergoing a transformation. Digital rhythms were beginning to replace live studio bands, and a new sound — dancehall — was taking hold. Frankie Paul stood at the heart of that change. With his clear tone and emotional phrasing, he brought melody back to the dancehall stage, becoming one of the first singers to bridge reggae’s roots with the genre’s new electronic pulse.
His breakthrough came with hits like “Worries in the Dance”, “Fire Deh a Mus Tail”, and the irrepressible “Pass the Ku-Sheng-Peng”. These songs became dancehall anthems, earning him international recognition and cementing his place among Jamaica’s most in-demand vocalists. In a later television interview on Onstage TV, producer Earl “Chinna” Smith, who mentored him early in his career, described Paul as “a born singer who could turn any riddim into something new — just put on a rhythm and he’d make it his own.”
Throughout the 1980s, Frankie’s work rate was nothing short of astonishing. He recorded for nearly every major producer on the island — George Phang, King Jammy, Gussie Clarke, Bobby Digital — and released albums at a pace that few could match. Among his most celebrated were Tidal Wave (1985) and Alesha (1987), the latter featuring the beloved tracks “Alesha” and “Country Man.” Both songs showcased his smooth vocal control and playful storytelling, while “Sara” and “I Know the Score” demonstrated his effortless shift between lovers’ rock and dancehall swagger.
Frankie’s performances were equally legendary. Whether in Kingston’s dancehalls or on international stages, his charisma and musicianship captivated audiences. Copeland Forbes, who toured with him on the Reggae Superfest circuit in Europe and Japan, once noted that Paul “could play ten instruments, layer harmonies live, and still out-sing anyone in the room.”
Dancehall Ambassador
As his career expanded, Frankie Paul became one of the most travelled Jamaican artists of his generation. He toured extensively across Europe, the United States, Japan, and the Caribbean, earning fans far beyond Jamaica’s shores. During the 1990s, he also spent significant time in The Gambia, where he performed, hosted radio shows, and helped promote reggae culture. In an interview with Makeda Dread, he called the country “the reggae capital of Africa” and spoke warmly of the people who embraced him there.
Despite his global reach, Frankie’s sound remained rooted in the pulse of Jamaican life — songs about love, resilience, and joy that captured the island’s soul. Whether backed by the heavy rhythms of Sly & Robbie or the digital sharpness of Steely & Clevie, he never lost his melodic sensibility or his gospel-like delivery.
An Undimmable Soul
Even as health challenges began to shadow his later years, Frankie Paul remained unstoppable. In 2016, during an interview with Wayne Lonesome, he spoke candidly about undergoing an operation to amputate his right leg after developing gangrene. “It’s nothing serious,” he said with characteristic optimism. “Life is there. My breath is here. My voice is here. God is here with me.” His faith and humour never wavered, and within months he was back in the studio, determined to keep recording.
His final performances in Jamaica, including at Startime in early 2017, were met with rapturous applause. Despite frailty, his voice retained its clarity and warmth — proof that the soul of Frankie Paul could not be dimmed.
A Truly Iconic Legacy
Frankie Paul passed away on May 18,2017 at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, following complications from kidney failure. He was 51. His passing drew tributes from across the music fraternity, with producers, fellow artists, and fans remembering him as one of the most gifted singers of his generation.
In a statement from VP Records, which reissued several of his albums, the label described him as “an iconic reggae singer whose catalogue defines an era.” Fellow musicians echoed the sentiment. Many pointed out that his music helped carry reggae’s melodic tradition into the digital age, influencing a new wave of dancehall and lovers’ rock artists who continue to draw from his phrasing and tone.
Today, Frankie Paul’s songs — from “Sara” to “Worries in the Dance” — remain staples of reggae playlists worldwide. His combination of technical brilliance, spiritual depth, and sheer joy in performance made him a true original. As he once sang on stage, “Every day’s a blessing, and every song’s a reason to live.”
More than five decades after he first took the microphone, his message still rings true. Frankie Paul’s voice lives on — clear, powerful, and eternal. If you haven’t listened in a while, cue up one of his classics, turn the volume up, and let that unmistakable voice remind you why they called him “The Voice That Wouldn’t Fade.”
