Ernie Smith

Glenroy Anthony Michael Archangelo Smith (1 May 1945 – 16 April 2026) was a Jamaican reggae singer, with a deep baritone voice, who had his greatest success in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Life and career Smith was born as Glenroy Anthony Michael Archangelo Smith in Kingston, Jamaica on 1 May 1945. He was raised in St. Ann and May Pen. His father played guitar and bought him an instrument when he was twelve. His first recordings were not a success and Smith spent time working in life insurance before returning to the studio. In 1972, he won the Yamaha Music Festival in Japan with "Life Is Just For Living", a song originally written for a Red Stripe commercial.

Albums Greatest Hits (1971) London Ernie...Smith, That Is (1972) (aka Pitta Patta) Federal For The Good Times (1974) Federal Life Is Just For Living (1974) Trojan Ernie Smith (Test Pressing, Unreleased Album Produced By Van McCoy) (1974) Warner Bros Pure Gold Rock & Roll And Rocksteady (1975) Wildflower I'll Sing For Jesus (1978) Wildflower To Behold Jah (1979) Generation/Tuff Gong Skareggae (1981) Generation Mr. Smith's Classics (1982) KR On The Road (Live 1989) Ernie Smith Music Folk Songs of Jamaica (1992) Ernie Smith Music Greatest Hits (1995) Musicrama Dancehall Ernie Cleans It Up (1996) Ernie Smith Music Step Up (1996) (same as Ernie Cleans It Up with extra tracks) Ernie Smith Music After 30 Years Life Is Just For Living (1997) Ernie Smith Music/VP The Very Best of Ernie Smith (1998) Rhino Greatest Hits (1999) K&K Country Mile (2008) VP The Best of Ernie Smith – Original Masters (2010) VP