Glen Ricketts

Bio:

GLEN RICKETTS BIOGRAPHY Glen Ricketts is also known as Glen Ricks. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the 6th child of Arthur and Lillian Ricketts. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 when he was 14 years old, and attended Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate Institute (KCI). Even before he came to Canada, he was already playing the recorder and the violin. He began singing in high school bands, and after leaving school he decided to pursue a music career in Toronto, Ontario. After arriving in Toronto in 1969, he entered a talent contest. There he met the first place winners, a group of guys from Jamaica called “The Fabulous Flames”. Recognizing the potential of their combined skills and talents, they decided to join forces: they taught Glen to dance and he taught them to sing. This remained a wonderful partnership for years to come. They soon went to Jamaica, where they made history! They did their first recording of “Holy Holy”, the Neil Diamond cover which Glen sang for producer Clancy Eccles. The song became a big hit, sparking the creation of their first album. The second single “Growing Up” became another big hit. Glen was beginning to make a name for himself, becoming the number one artist in Jamaica. Glen began to see opportunities beyond the Fabulous Flames, inspiring him to make the kind of music he was passionate about. After declining an offer to become the lead singer for the Fabulous Flames, he began travelling to the United States to pursue a solo career. During this period, he went to Chicago where he met his idol, Donny Hathaway. The opportunity to work with Donny took his music and talent to an even higher level. Glen eventually decided to return to Toronto and became the driving force behind the band “Crack of Dawn”, earning a place as top Canadian black R & B group. When young students study Canadian Black History, Glen is always mentioned! The band gained notoriety in Canada, resulting in a CBS Recording contract. The group had several hits, including “Boobie Ruby”, “It’s Alright”, and “Keep the Faith”. Sadly, the group disbanded as they were unable to complete the second album. Glen was once again on his own as a solo artist signed with CBS, and released two singles, “I Got Something for My Baby” and “Oh What a Big World”. In leaving that contract, he decided to go with a Toronto based independent record label, “Filthy Rich”, where he produced the album “Heart of my World”. That single also rose to Number 1 in Jamaica. In 1982 he returned to Canada. In 1986 he joined the Pointer Sisters on a cross-Canada tour. He went on to record the album “I Found a Love”, which garnered worldwide acclaim. He was nominated for a JUNO award for that album. This was no surprise to the industry, since back in Jamaica he had a string of successful hits including “How Can I Forget”, “Sitting in the Back Seat”, “Falling in Love”, “If Loving You is Wrong” and “Keep on Dancing”. Along the way, Glen Ricketts has opened for the likes of Kool and the Gang, The Spinners, Lolita Holloway, The Pointer Sisters, The Temptations, Natalie Cole and Patti Labelle, to name just a few. In 1990 Glen moved again to Jamaica where he recorded for the likes of producers Sly and Robbie, Bobby Digital, and Phillip Fattis Burrell. Known as the Al Green of Jamaica, he and close friend Dennis Brown, would join forces to showcase Glen’s unbelievable talent. Glen wasted no time in recording one of the strongest singles from the album “Big Man”, the R&B hit “Never Gonna Let You Go”. This song became a huge hit in the Saudi Arabia.

Member Since:

March 31, 2008

Members:

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Record Label:

Thunder Dome Sounds/Mosaic Entertainment