Keith & Tex were the Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

n rocksteady

Rocksteady

Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...

 duo of Keith Rowe and Texas Dixon, best known for their 1967 hit "Stop That Train".

History

Keith Rowe (born Keith Barrington Rowe) grew up in the Washington Gardens area of Saint Andrew Parish

Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica

Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue Mountains and at the 2001 census had the highest population of all the parishes in Jamaica. The Right Excellent George William Gordon Saint...

, across the road from Lee "Scratch" Perry's home and future studio, on the outskirts of Kingston

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

. He was introduced to Dixon, who was from the same area, and formed a duo. They soon began auditioning for local producers but were rejected by Prince Buster

Prince Buster

Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...

, Coxsone Dodd

Coxsone Dodd

Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...

 and Duke Reid

Duke Reid

Treasure Isle re-directs here. For the game, see Treasure Isle .Arthur "Duke" Reid, CD was a Jamaican record producer, DJ and label owner....

, eventually finding success with Derrick Harriott

Derrick Harriott

Derrick Harriott is a singer and record producer. He has produced recordings by Big Youth, Chariot Riders, The Chosen Few, Dennis Brown, The Ethiopians, Keith & Tex, The Kingstonians, Rudy Mills, Scotty, Sly & Revolutionaries, and Winston McAnuff.-Biography:As a student at Excelsior High School,...

. Working with Harriott, they recorded a series of singles in the late 1960s, including "Stop That Train" (a cover of The Spanishtonians' ska

Ska

Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...

 hit), "Tonight", "This Is My Song", "Don't Look Back" (a cover of The Temptations

The Temptations

The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...

' song), and "Let Me Be the One". They ceased working together in 1970 with both emigrating with their families - Rowe to The United States and Dixon to Canada. Rowe joined the US Army in 1972, staying in for twenty years, but also found time for music, recording as a solo artist, working with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, releasing tracks such as "Groovy Situation" and "Living My Life", and recording further singles in the US, including a few on his own KEBAR label.

Rowe and Dixon reunited for some live shows and released a new album in 1997. Rowe later presented the Sounds of the Caribbean radio show on WBZC

WBZC

WBZC is a radio station broadcasting a rhythmic contemporary hit format, licensed to Pemberton, New Jersey, USA. The station serves the Burlington County area...

.

Their version of "Stop That Train" formed the basis of deejay

Deejay

A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...

 Scotty

Scotty (musician)

Scotty performed as a reggae vocalist and deejay.-Biography:...

's "Draw Your Brakes", which featured in the film The Harder They Come

The Harder They Come

The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell.The film stars reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who plays Ivanhoe Martin, a character based on Rhyging, a real-life Jamaican criminal who achieved fame in the 1940s...

, and Big Youth

Big Youth

Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....

's "Cool Breeze".

Singles

• "Tonight" (1967), Island
  Island Records
  Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
  
  
• "Stop That Train" (1967). Island
• "Hypnotizing Eyes" (1968), Island
• "This Is My Song" (1968)
• "Don't Look Back" (1968)
• "Let Me be The One" (1968)
• "Tighten Up Your Gird" (1969), Explosion