Cornell Campbell - Biography

Biography

Cornel has one of the sweetest falsettos of any Jamaican vocalist and uses it often to convey frustration, soul or despair. His first name was mistakenly spelled with two L's on a record and he's had to live with people misspelling his name ever since. He prefers the correct spelling: Cornel Campbell. Cornel's singing career began in his local church choir. At age eleven, in 1956, he was introduced to trombonist Rico Rodriguez, who took him to Clement Dodd's studio, where he recorded his first single, "My Treasure". Further singles followed as Jamaican music transformed from rhythm and blues to ska, with backing from The Skatalites. He later recorded for King Edwards backed by The Bell Stars, before moving on again to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle, where he formed The Sensations along with Jimmy Riley, Buster Riley, and Aaron Davis. When The Sensations split, Campbell emerged as leader of his own new vocal group, The Eternals, with Ken Price and Errol Wisdom, recording perennial favourites such as "Queen of The Minstrels" and "Stars". He was also briefly a member of The Uniques in the 1960s, although he may not have contributed to any recordings by the group at that time.