WHENEVER the definitive history of Jamaican music is written, Chris Blackwell and his label Island Records are sure to have a place.

Blackwell is credited with taking popular Jamaican music to the international market, given his work with the pioneers, including Millie Small, Jimmy Cliff and, perhaps his most celebrated act, The Wailers, which transitioned into Bob Marley and The Wailers.

Now Blackwell is chronicling his journey in the music industry with the release of his memoir titled The Islander: My Life In Music And Beyond set to hit the market next year to coincide with his 85th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the UK arm of Island Records.

Published by Nine Eight Books, the 320-page book, which will be released on June 2, 2022, will take readers on Blackwell’s journey through the music industry, including working as an A&R scout, producer, and label boss, as well as his experiences in film-making and the leisure business.

The Islander is written by broadcaster and cultural critic Paul Morley, who has covered music, art, and entertainment since the 1970s. A founding member of the electronic collective Art of Noise and a member of staff at the Royal Academy of Music, he has also authored a number of books about music, including the best-selling The Age of Bowie, and A Sound Mind: How I Fell in Love with Classical Music and Decided to Rewrite its Entire History.

Morley collaborated with Grace Jones on her memoir, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs. His most recent books are biographies of Bob Dylan, You Lose Yourself, You Reappear, and Tony Wilson of Factory Records , From Manchester With Love.

Blackwell told Music Week: “It seems a good time to write about the people and musicians I’ve worked with and the places I’ve loved. It’s been quite a trip.”

Nine Eight Books’ Publishing Director Pete Selby added: “Chris Blackwell is a true pioneer. As important a figure as the acts he nurtured. With Island Records, he established the template that other record labels could only aspire to, whilst ‘The Islander’ captures that maverick spirit of adventure, passion, and possibility that is the mark of Chris Blackwell. It’s an honour to be publishing his incredible memoir at Nine Eight Books.”

Island Records was founded by London-born Blackwell, Australian Graeme Goodall, and Jamaican Leslie Kong in 1959 before Blackwell brought the label to the UK in 1962. The company represented pioneer reggae acts such as Millie Small, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, and Desmond Dekker, and helped introduce Jamaican music to that market.

Island’s biggest acts are Marley, U2, The Spencer Davis Group, and Melissa Etheridge.

In recent years the label has become home to some of the world’s biggest stars, including Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, and Shawn Mendes.