Louisa Mark Reggae Singer, picture in her youth, black and white
Pioneering Lovers Rock singer, Louisa Mark passed away in Gambia on Saturday 17th October, with initial reports suggesting there had been complications with a stomach ulcer, the result of food poisoning.

An admirer of American R&B, she was one of the most influential British-based reggae singers of her generation, blending contemporary soul music with Jamaican rhythms and in so doing, becoming a major player in the creation of a whole new style of music: Lovers Rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mark was born in Shepherd's Bush in London 1960, taking her first steps on the road to becoming a professional singer as a teenager, performing at talent contests held at Lloydie 'Coxson' Blackford's Four Aces club. 

Her performances prompted Coxson to record the 15 year-old, arranging a session at Gooseberry Studios in central London, with up-and-coming local band, Matumbi providing musical accompaniment. The result was the hugely popular version of Robert Parker's 'Caught You In A Lie', the recording that provided the blueprint for the Lovers Rock style that was soon to dominate British Reggae music.		  

'All My Loving' came soon after, but an eighteen-month hiatus followed after a contractual dispute with Coxon's Safari Records and it was not until her move to Trojan early in 1977 that she returned to the studio. 'Keep It Like It Is', (Clickhere to listen) released by the company soon after, was another strong seller, but Mark felt the disc had not received sufficient promotion and soon after decided to move on once more. 

A number of popular Clement Bushay-produced singles followed, with versions of Michael Jackson's 'Even Though You're Gone' and the best-selling '6 Six Street' prompting her to be voted best female Reggae vocalist of 1978 by readers of Black Echoes. Further Bushay-produced singles ensued, culminating in her 1981 debut LP, 'Breakout', but as the eighties progressed, she gradually eased off from recording, resulting in the sum total of her catalogue comprised of precious few recordings.