About Me
The Phyllis Dillon story is one of hard knocks. She first left Jamaica in 1974 when she became fed-up with what she saw as the stagnation of her career and the way in which female artistes on a whole were being treated by the local music industry.
"Out of the frustration of being ripped off, despite having an impressive catalogue of hits, she left Jamaica in the '70s and vowed that she would never again become involved with music," a friend said.Recording only for the late Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label, Phyllis Dillon has to her credit such hits as Don't Stay Away (her signature tune), Don't Touch Mi Tomato, Perfidia, Love That A Woman Should Give to A Man, Remember That Sunday (in duet with Alton Ellis), Get On The Right Track (with Hopeton Lewis) and One Life To Live."It took me five years to get her to perform here in Jamaica," said Michael Barnett, who, along with Keith Brown, is responsible for the staging of the popular vintage showcase, Heineken Startime, which gave Dillon a second lease on her musical life."We were the ones," Barnett pointed out, "who brought her back into the business. It took me five years (from 1986) of calling and trying to convince her to perform in Jamaica. It was not until 1991 that I finally convinced her to do the show, 'Get Ready Rocksteady' at the National Arena."That event was the first time in 17 years that Phyllis Dillon, who this December would have celebrated her 60th birthday, was performing in Jamaica. It was the money she earned from such gigs, touring and performing over the 10 years between 1991 and 2001, which she invested in a home for resettlement in her homeland.Phyllis Dillon lost her battle with cancer at home in Long Island, New York where she had sought refuge. Relatives vowed she would be buried there.
