“My Boy Lollipop” singer has died

Jamaican born singer Millie Small has died. She was famous for singing Jamaica’s first international hit, “My boy Lollipop.”

Reports are that she died at the age of 73 from a stroke in England on May 5, 2020.

Millie Small, real name Millicent Small was born in Clarendon. She was raised on a sugar plantation where her father worked as an overseer. Small got her start in music when she won a talent contest at the Palladium Theatre in Montego Bay in 1960. She later went on to work with Sir Coxone Dodd’s Studio One label in Kingston where got recored the hit “We’ll Meet;” a duo with Roy Panton.

Her version of the song “My Boy Lollipop” recored in 1964 was a cover of an American rhythm and blues song, of the same title originally done by Barbie Gaye in 1957. It became the song credited for taking Ska to the world playing an integral role in the development of Jamaican music.

Speaking about the hit song and of Small, record producer Chris Blackwell commented: “It became a hit pretty much everywhere in the world. I went with her around the world because each of the territories wanted her to turn up and do TV shows and such, and it was just incredible how she handled it. She was such a sweet person, really a sweet person. Very funny, great sense of humour. She was really special.” Blackwell was a co-producer of the hit.

 Small was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) for her contribution to the development of the Jamaican music industry by the Jamaican Government.

Small is survived by her daughter who is also a musician.

Watch Millie Small perform “My Boy Lollipop” below