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Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels".〔 According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to which Blackwell was inducted in 2001, he is "the single person most responsible for turning the world on to reggae music."〔 Forming Island Records in Jamaica on 22 May 1959 aged 22, Blackwell was amongst the first to record the Jamaican popular music that eventually became known as ska. Returning to Britain in 1962, he sold records from the back of his car to the Jamaican community.〔 Backed by Stanley Borden from RKO Entertainment, Blackwell's business and reach grew substantially, and he went on to forge the careers of Bob Marley, Grace Jones and U2 amongst many other diverse high-profile acts. He has produced many seminal albums, including Marley's ''Catch A Fire'' and ''Uprising''. ==Childhood== Blackwell was born in Westminster, London. Blackwell's father, Joseph, who was English, was related to the founder of Crosse & Blackwell, purveyors of jarred foods and relishes, and had some residual wealth.〔 He became a Major in the Jamaican Regiment.〔 Blackwell's mother, the former Blanche Lindo, was born in Costa Rica, and was a Sephardic Jew from a Jamaican family.〔 She belonged to a powerful family who made their fortune in sugar and Appleton Rum toward the end of slavery. They are named as one of the 21 families who controlled Jamaica in the 20th century.〔 Blackwell's parents divorced when he was twelve. Blanche was considered the love of Ian Fleming's later life, becoming the James Bond author's muse and the inspiration for the character Pussy Galore in ''Goldfinger''.〔 She owned several thousand acres of land near Oracabessa, Jamaica, and sold properties to both Fleming and Noël Coward.〔(Reference to Blanche Blackwell )〕 Due to her heritage, Blanche was viewed as a white Jamaican. Blackwell spent his childhood in Jamaica, and was sent to Britain to continue his education at Harrow.〔(Island Records' Chris Blackwell Interview ), (Repeating Islands ), 2009〕 Deciding not to attend university, he returned to Jamaica to become ADC to the Governor of Jamaica Sir Hugh Foot. After Foot was transferred to Cyprus, Blackwell left King's House to pursue a career in real estate and other businesses, including managing jukeboxes up and down the country, which brought him into contact with the Jamaican music community.〔 In 1958, Blackwell was sailing off Helshire Beach when his boat ran aground on a coral reef. The twenty-one-year-old swam to the coast and attempted to find help along the shore in searing temperatures. Collapsing on the beach, Blackwell was rescued by Rasta fishermen who tended his wounds and restored him back to health with traditional Ital food. The experience gave Blackwell a spiritual introduction to Rastafarianism, and was a key to his connection to the culture and its music.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chris Blackwell」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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