Post by Laurence Aikens

John Lester Nash Jr. (born August 19, 1940) is a reggae and pop music singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae music in Kingston. He sang in the choir at Progressive New Hope Baptist Church in South Central Houston as a child. He sang covers of R&B hits on Matinee, a local variety show on KPRC-TV. He sang on Arthur Godfrey's radio and TV shows for seven years. Signing with ABC-Paramount, he made his major-label debut in 1957 with the single "A Teenager Sings the Blues." He had his first chart hit in early 1958 with a cover of Doris Day's "A Very Special Love." Marketed as a rival to Johnny Mathis, he enjoyed success as an actor early in his career, appearing in the screen version of playwright Louis S. Peterson's Take a Giant Step. He won a Silver Sail Award for his performance at the Locarno International Film Festival. He continued releasing singles on a variety of labels such as Groove, Chess, Argo, and Warner Bros. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence