Boris Gardiner

Boris Gardiner is a Jamaican singer, songwriter and bass guitarist whose career stretches back to the ska and rocksteady era of the 1960s. He first made his name as a session bassist and bandleader in Kingston before stepping out as a vocalist, moving fluidly between reggae, soul and pop. His warm, soulful voice and laid-back arrangements gave his records an easy crossover appeal that reached beyond the reggae scene into mainstream pop charts, particularly in the UK.

Gardiner is best known internationally for the romantic ballad «I Want to Wake Up with You», a substantial UK chart hit that showcased his smoother, adult-contemporary side. Alongside such pop successes, he also recorded harder, more socially charged material, including «Every Nigger Is a Star», a defiant roots anthem that later found new life when it was sampled to open Kendrick Lamar's album To Pimp a Butterfly, introducing Gardiner's voice to a new generation of listeners decades after its original release.

Across songs like «You're Everything to Me», «Negril» and «Rough & Tough in the Ghetto», Gardiner's catalogue reflects the breadth of Jamaican popular music itself — from gritty ghetto storytelling to lush, radio-friendly love songs. His ability to move between these registers, paired with his background as an in-demand bassist, made him one of the more versatile and enduring voices to emerge from Jamaica's golden era of recording.