The I-Threes continued to tour after Bob Marley died. For a time, they toured as a package deal with former members of The Wailers and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. Judy Mowatt was happy to retain the associations, having bonded with her fellow I-Threes as friends as well as performers. But even before Marley’s death, Mowatt took a huge step forward in her solo career.
Inspired by a visit to the United States, where she took in an exhibition on slavery, Mowatt recorded the album “Black Woman” in 1979 at Marley’s Tuff Gong studio; it was the first album recorded there. It was also the first solo album produced by a woman in the history of Jamaican music. With contributions by a number of noted musicians, “Black Woman” has been called one of the best reggae albums ever written. Kings Music International dubbed it the greatest work done in the genre by a female artist.
Mowatt made history again in 1985 when she became the first woman nominated for a Grammy for a reggae album, “Working Wonders.” Fourteen years later, she was honored by the Jamaican government with the Order of Distinction for her contributions to the country’s musical heritage.
