Judy Mowatt

Judy Mowatt
Judy Mowatt at Gröna Lund, 1977
Background information
Birth name	Judith Veronica Mowatt
Born	1952 (age 64–65) Gordon Town, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae Roots Reggae Gospel
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1967 – present
Labels	Tuff Gong, Shanachie Records
Associated acts	The Wailers Bunny Wailer Peter Tosh I-Threes

Judith Veronica "Judy" Mowatt, OD (born 1952) is a Jamaican reggae artist. As well as being a solo artist, she was also a member of the "I Threes", trio of backing vocalists for Bob Marley & The Wailers after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left.

Mowatt was born in Gordon Town, St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica. At the age of 13, she became a member of a dance troupe which toured Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean. Her initial ambition was to become a registered nurse. Her earliest musical influences were Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield, Dionne Warwick, Bob Marley, Marcia Griffiths, The Staple Singers and The Soulettes. A coincidental meeting with two teenage girls who were earlier in her dance troupe led to the formation of the Gaylettes, in 1967.

Mowatt was associated with Bunny Livingston/Wailer in the early 1970s, and wrote some of the tracks he recorded. At that time, for legal reasons, she used the names Juliann and Jean Watt. On The Wailers album Burnin' (1973), two songs written by their singer Bunny Wailer were credited to Judy Mowatt under the pseudonym Jean Watt: "Hallelujah Time" and "Pass It On". Furthermore, the B Side of Concrete Jungle, "Reincarnated Soul", also credited to Jean Watt and sung by Bunny Wailer. This song – with the name changed to "Reincarnated Souls" – was included two years later on Bunny Wailer's first solo album Blackheart Man (1976).

In 1974, she got her big break by joining Bob Marley's backing vocal trio the "I Threes".