Age, Biography and Wiki

Leslie Kong was born on 20 December, 1933 in Kingston, Jamaica, is a Leslie Kong was Jamaican reggae producer Jamaican reggae producer. Discover Leslie Kong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 37 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Record producer
Age 37 years old
Zodiac Sign Sagittarius
Born 20 December, 1933
Birthday 20 December
Birthplace Kingston, Jamaica
Date of death 9 August, 1971
Died Place Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality Jamaica

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 20 December. He is a member of famous artist with the age 37 years old group.

Leslie Kong Height, Weight & Measurements

At 37 years old, Leslie Kong height not available right now. We will update Leslie Kong's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Leslie Kong Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Leslie Kong worth at the age of 37 years old? Leslie Kong’s income source is mostly from being a successful artist. He is from Jamaica. We have estimated Leslie Kong's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income artist

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Timeline

1933

Leslie Kong (20 December 1933 – 9 August 1971) was a Jamaican reggae producer.

Leslie and his two older brothers Cecil and Lloyd ran a restaurant, ice cream parlour and record shop called Beverley's in Orange Street, Kingston.

1960

Throughout the 1960s Kong kept recording many leading Jamaican artists from ska to reggae through rocksteady including Joe Higgs, Desmond Dekker, Toots & the Maytals, Derrick Morgan, John Holt and Stranger Cole.

A wise businessman, Kong was one of the original shareholders in Island Records along with Chris Blackwell and Australian engineer Graeme Goodall.

1961

In 1961, he encountered a young Jimmy Cliff outside of his shop singing a song he had written called "Dearest Beverley", in the hopes that the mention of the establishment would convince Kong to record him.

This encounter led Kong to launch his own record label, Beverley's, and to record Cliff's song, launching Cliff's career in the process.

Cliff took on an A&R role for the label, and brought Bob Marley to Kong's attention.

1962

In 1962, Kong recorded Marley's first single: "One Cup of Coffee" and "Judge Not", and Jimmy Cliff's first hit, "Miss Jamaica".

Kong, known in Jamaican music circles as "the Chinaman", quickly established himself as the island's leading producer of local popular music.

1963

Starting in 1963 Kong began licensing ska recordings to Blackwell for release in the UK on Island's Black Swan imprint.

1967

After Blackwell bought out Kong and Goodall's share in Island, in 1967 Kong formed a second partnership with Graeme Goodall, who created the Pyramid label in the UK for the successful release of Kong's rocksteady and early reggae productions.

Kong is known for being the first Jamaican producer to get international hits with long-time collaborator Desmond Dekker, in 1967 with "007 (Shanty Town)" and, above all, in 1969 with "Israelites" which topped the UK Singles Chart in April 1969 and went to number nine on the US charts in June 1969, selling over two million copies.

During the early reggae period, he worked with Bob Marley and The Wailers (The Best of the Wailers) and enjoyed several successful hits with The Pioneers' "Long Shot Kick The Bucket", and The Melodians' "Rivers of Babylon" and "Sweet Sensation".

His works with The Maytals also led to many hits including "54-46 That's My Number" and the UK charting single "Monkey Man".

Matthew Sherman explains the relationship between The Maytals and Leslie Kong as, "From '69 to '71, Toots (Toots Hibbert) could do no wrong recording for Leslie Kong. With the consistent nucleus of musicians, the Beverley's All-Stars (Jackie Jackson, Gladstone Anderson, Winston Wright, Hux Brown, Rad Bryan, Paul Douglas and Winston Grennan) and the Maytals’ brilliant harmonising, Toots wrote and sang his unmistakable voice about every subject imaginable. "

Other vocalists who recorded for him and the Beverley's label include Ken Boothe, Bruce Ruffin, The Gaylads and Delroy Wilson.

Ex-Skatalites saxophonist Roland Alphonso cut numerous instrumentals for Kong during the rocksteady period.

1968

When reggae arrived in late 1968, lead instrumental duties were handled by organists Ansell Collins and Winston Wright, a member of Tommy McCook's Supersonics.

Kong makes a cameo appearance in the Jamaican film The Harder They Come, playing a recording engineer in a scene in which Jimmy Cliff's character watches a studio recording session, by Toots and the Maytals, of the song "Sweet and Dandy" (Kong was the actual producer of that recording).

Kong's plans to release a compilation album of tracks from the singles he produced by the Wailers led to Bunny Wailer allegedly threatening Kong with a curse, telling him that if he issued the record he would die.

1969

When Pyramid folded in 1969, the licensing successes continued with Trojan Records.

1970

Kong went ahead with the release in 1970.

1971

Kong died of a heart attack, aged 37, in August 1971.