Chris BlackwellThe Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond

When he was 18, Chris Blackwell set out on a boating expedition with friends and ran out of gas in a remote section off the coast of Jamaica. It was 1955. One of his friends ventured to the shore but came back bloody and scared. There was nowhere to go. The island there was all thorns and mangroves with almost no beach and the tide was rising. They were stranded. The next day Chris set out on foot walking for miles on cracked hard dry ground. In one section the ground appeared to be moving - it was a writhing mass of hundreds of thousands of crabs. If they chose to come at him as predators, there was no escape. After miles and many hours he spotted a tiny, lopsided shack held together by string. He was weak and desperately thirsty and thought he was hallucinating. Then he saw the first Rastafari he had ever seen in his life: The Man's hair was long, matted, and looked like tree bark. His clothes looked as if he had made them himself. Blackwell was terrified. He had been told stories of what could happen to him when encountering these people. He thought this was the end, as these people had been horribly mistreated by white people for centuries. But he sensed an ethereal gentleness about the man. He gave him water and fixed a place for him to sleep.When Chris woke up, he saw five more Rastafari Men in the hut, all sitting around reading softly from the Bible. They offered him food. Blackwell was overcome by the incredible, mystic gentleness that surrounded him there.Several years later, Chris Blackwell became an icon of music by bringing the sounds of these people to the World. He worked most famously with Bob Marley but there were many, many others and his Record Company brought Reggae to the World. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall that day Bob Marley, Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer walked into his London Office. By all accounts, it was a powerful sight: Like Three Kings walking in. Other musicians such as U2, Traffic, John Martyn, Nick Drake & Black Uhuru were on his label. Blackwell grew up with neighbors like Errol Flynn, Ian Fleming, and other legends before becoming a legend himself. What a Life. What a Book. Amazing Adventures. The sections on Bob Marley brought tears to my eyes. One Love ❤

I loved reading this book. Spencer Davis, Traffic, Bob Marley, Robert Palmer, Grace Jones were some of my favorite artists/groups and Chris Blackwell made it all happen. So great to read about a record label head who was a so creative and a great music man. he was not all about the numbers but all about the music. Great stories about some great records, artists and music.

I have long admired Chris Blackwell, at the same time wanted to know more about his upbringing and inspiration. This book tells the whole story, and is very well written and compelling. I highly recommend it.

I’ve been a big fan of Island since the 60’s. John Martyn, Cat Stevens, Steve Winwood, Marianne Faithfull, Bob Marley, U2, etc. As I was reading this book, I kept going back to my music app and playing many songs. Thanks to Chris Blackwell for this lovely book, the focus of which is letting creativity flow. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves music and how it’s made.

Listened to his interview on NPR and had to learn more.What an inspiration and the things I learned … it’s a great dive in to the pool

Very few have the means to walk the walk and uphold their values, Cheers to Chris a giant amongst them.

Honest remembrances of a life whose impact will be felt into generations to come. That is my best review of this book by Chris Blackwell. My only (small) wish is that, as he concluded in the epilogue a list of friends, he might have addressed his offspring from romantic relationships, as well as, his long term relationship with the woman who became his wife.

This is a very interesting, soulful, and thoughtful read. I’m flabbergasted that there is only one chapter on Bob Marley—and it’s fairly brief, too. (That’s a disappointing aspect to an otherwise excellent book. I can only assume that Chris Blackwell wanted to demonstrate that his music career was not just about Bob Marley, but was about many other talented artists.) Other than that, a great book about the record industry of the past 60 years.

Chris Blackwell (whom I knew reasonably well & whose music businesses our company represented for 30 years in parts of Europe) was an influential tastemaker for generations...particularly from the early '60s to the turn of the century. This book tells his story in rather honest, low key, factual but entertaining fashion. I am relieved by this as it's a story needing documenting-and the usually 'me me me egotistical' Paul Morley- was expected by many in the know to insert too much of himself into the proceedings. So good taste -or strong editing has prevailed and this is an entertaining and well recomended read.

So, first of all, some background!I was SO Inspired by 'Get up Stand up' the AWESOME Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre (London, UK) in December 2022 (I had booked it for a family member's birthday based on the reviews) and was SO blown away that afterwards I found myself searching out books relating to Bob Marley.- Bear in mind that I was born in UK in 1955, (female, white British) so statistically I should have been susceptible to media brainwashing machines telling me to buy certain records.But I didn't own a radio or a record player or a stereo player. and couldn't stand television (especially Top of The Pops (TOTP) which was clearly SO fake and VERY creepy - how come no-one else was seeing this?), so when I went to Uni in 1973 (University of Kingston Upon Hull - the 'Fish and Chip Shop up a railway siding' ) I had absolutely no access to commercial music (unlike more affluent students who had Stereos and Radios). But I had my guitar which I took it to local folk clubs where my three chords and I were allowed to perform the permitted two songs as a 'floor singer' ( e.g. with rousing audience singing along with ''No nay never,- bang bang bang bang - no nay never no more, will I play the Wild Rover, No never no more!!).So, given that I was utterly oblivious to commercial music during Chris Blackwell's most active period, I feel I am living my life again through his book, joining the dots I never joined in the past.For me, Chris Blackwell, Bob Marley and Nick Drake, music came before money. Thanks to Chris Blackwell's book, I am actively seeking out Bob' Marley's and Nick Drake's music on Youtube.So reading Chris Blackwell's book 'Islander' has basically changed my outlook on life.So thank you Chris Blackwell and here's to you Bob Marley and Nick Drake!And to Chris Blackwell,I am so sorry you have had to face so much death around you and in particular, death of so many young people whose time should not have yet come.I raise a glass of 'Blackwell Rum' to you Chris Blackwell, to Bob Marley and to Nick Drake to salute your legacy to all of usThank you all and CHEERS!!!

For anyone who bought vinyl albums in the golden age between the late 60s and late 80s Island Records was a hallmark of quality, originality and great taste. In this fine autobiography Island's founder and spiritual guide Chris Blackwell tells tales of musical splendour encompassing Bob Marley, Traffic, U2, Grace Jones, Free, John Martyn, Roxy Music, Nick Drake and many many more. Essential reading for any music fan

My older brother recommended so many Island bands to me in my youth, and to hear Chris's inside line on how he created Island was just wonderful. I read lots of music books and this is one of the best. As someone said in a review, Chris is low key and humble in an egotistical world. The proof reading needs work in the hardback edition, just a tiny point. I loved this book, and if you love the music of the 60/70's/80's I recommend this book highly. No one else in music has had as broad an influence. Chris Blackwell, thank you so very much from all us music lovers out there!

Superb book from start to finish. Great music industry biog. It probably helps that I bought in to the Island Records back catalogue over the years but I think would be a good read for anyone else interested in the music business. The early chapters are particularly fascinating about how things developed in Jamaica.