Cornel Campbell: "The fact I'm still here today means that was the way it was meant to be!"

Cornel, if I'm well-informed it was Rico Rodriguez who kick-started your career all these years ago, introducing you to Coxsone Dodd. Cornel Campbell: "My career started in 1956, the age of rhythm and blues and mento music in Jamaica. I started out singing at church, but it was a friend of mine, Kenneth Samuels, who gave me the confidence to take it further. It was also he who eventually introduced me to Rico Rodriguez. I mistakenly understood he was in charge of production. Luckily he didn't mind introducing me to Coxsone Dodd and that's how the ball got rolling."

Having worked with all the top producers of the day from Coxsone Dodd over Duke Reid to Bunny Lee, who would you say was the one to get the real Cornel Campbell out of you?  Cornel Campbell: "It wasn't really a matter of getting the real Cornel Campbell out of me, because every song I do is from the heart. I'm someone who likes to try new things, so each time I got to work with a new producer was an adventure to me."

You kind of played it safe in a way by holding a job as a printer in the early days of your career. Cornel Campbell: "When I started out at Studio One, I was only eleven years old and I dropped out of school in sixth grade. Cyril, the guy who was in charge of printing the labels at Studio One, sort of took me under his wing and taught me his profession so I had something to fall back on apart from music."

Undoubtedly, one of your biggest hits is 'Queen Of The Minstrel', a song that is still rumored to have been inspired by The Impressions' 'Minstrel And Queen'. Cornel Campbell: "Sadly that's a bit of a misrepresentation of the facts. I had heard The Impressions song, as they were quite popular in Jamaica at the time, but in all honesty I never based my version on theirs. For starters the lyrics are completely different! (It's probably the title that caused the confusion as it's actually The Techniques' 'Queen Majesty' that is based on The Impressions' 'Minstrel And Queen', red.)"

Something few people will know is that you also play several instruments. Cornel Campbell: "I play the guitar and on some of Bunny Lee's recordings, like the 'Stalowatt' album for example (Third World, 1976, red.), I played lead guitar or the bass. Whenever some of his regular session musicians didn't turn up, Bunny would call on me to play this or that."

What do you use when you're composing a new song? Cornel Campbell: "I always fall back on the guitar, which is still my favorite instrument and the one I mastered best."

You're known to be a devout Christian, so where does Rastafari fit into your life? Cornel Campbell: "Well, you see the Rastafarians call their god Jah and we call ours Jehovah, but basically they are one and the same. The difference is that I also believe in Jesus who died for our sins on the cross."

Is it true you started calling yourself 'The Gorgon' after seeing a sixties horror movie by that title? Cornel Campbell: "You had a movie in the sixties called 'The Gorgon' (Terence Fisher, 1964, red.) which was about the creature from Greek mythology (In Greek mythology, a Gorgon is a female creature. The name derives from the ancient Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful". The term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair made of living, venomous snakes, red.), yes, but I didn't really base myself on all that when I took on that name. Back in those days there was a lot of musical rivalry going on in Jamaica and you had to have a name that made you look strong. It was just another way of saying: "I am strong and powerful!" When Bob Marley sang: "Some a gorgon, some a hooligan, some a ginegog" in 'Rat Race' he was referring to me. Even though Ninja Man also started referring to himself as Don Gorgon at one point, I'm still the Original Gorgon!"

In your experience, what's the secret to a long and successful career in music? Cornel Campbell: "I can't speak for others, but for me that's Jehovah, who's been my inspiration from the start and has guided me to this day. The fact I'm still here today means that was the way it was meant to be. I was born September 23rd 1945 and I can only be happy I'm still here today doing what I do best and love."

Foto: © Fabrice De Smedt