Nicky Thomas Biography

Nicky Thomas was born Cecil Nicholas Thomas in Portland, Jamaica, in 1949. His first hit in the islands was “Run Nigel Run,” produced by Derrick Harriot in 1969, but Thomas’ most successful songs were recorded with producer Joe Gibbs, including the wonderful “Love of the Common People,” which rode its reggae-pop sound into the U.K. Top Ten in 1970. Following a tour of Britain in support of the single that same year, Thomas decided to stay, and he continued to release his brand of pop-infused reggae from the U.K. until his death in 1990. Sort of a poor man’s Jimmy Cliff, Thomas produced a small but infectious body of work, and he deserves to be remembered on the strength of “Love of the Common People” alone, as well as for songs like “BBC,” a harsh criticism of Radio 1’s treatment of Jamaican reggae artists.