OK, so we all need a laugh.Eric Trump, The Really Not Smart One, published a column on Thursday in. (I guess, having divested itself of that execrable propagandist, John Solomon, that publication has decided to go straight to the actual manure pile for content.) Leave aside why anyone would publish anything by Eric Trump. Ignore even this whopping self-ownage: I owe all of my work ethic, character, integrity, and moral fiber to my father.Now, who can argue with that?But, instead, gaze in awe at the preceding sentence. To quote the great Marcus Aurelius from The Gladiator, “Your faults as a son are my failures as a father.”'The great Marcus Aurelius.' 'From The Gladiator.' He doesn't even get the name of the movie right.

• Gladiator Cast

It's Gladiator.Bore him for the simples.

For over three decades, and his have been a major force within Jamaican music. Born in 1946, in St. Elizabeth parish, he grew up in poverty in Trench Town, and trained as a mason. However, music beckoned, and linking with, brother of the popular, the pair auditioned around the studios, but to no avail.

Thus it was back to masonry, where was now working alongside ' under a foreman, Leebert Robinson, also looking to enter the music industry. Convinced Robinson to fund a recording session; with providing accompaniment, cut 'Train to Skaville,' backed by ' 'You Are the Girl,' credited to Al & the Ethiopians. 'Train' was a smash, while 'Girl' confirmed ' own potential.The following year, in 1968, and joined forces with, and were born. The trio continued recording for Robinson, whilst also branching out to cut singles for.

But it was with that the group first tasted success, when 'Hello Carol' topped the Jamaican chart in late 1968. Unfortunately, it was at this point, that began exhibiting signs of serious mental illness, and while continued sporadically recording, it was evident that was becoming increasingly incapacitated. In his stead would come country boy. Had arrived in Kingston at 16, and formed the short-lived vocal group the Brothers with two friends. The Brothers went nowhere, but was serious about music, and began lessons at the music school that was now running.

By this time, the elder man was also employed as a guitarist at Studio One, where would soon join him, first as rhythm guitarist, before switching to bass. However, family commitments drew away around this same time, and were now reduced to a duo. During this period, at the tail end of the '60s, the pair backed the likes of. Eventually, however, picked out of his pool of students, a youth the had first met back during his masonry days, and the group were a trio again.As the '70s dawned, continued notching up hits, including 'Freedom Train' and 'Rock a Man Soul,' both cut for, and 'The Race' for Randy's.

However, across the first half of the decade, it was Studio One that released the bulk of the trio's recordings. Classic followed classic, as the trio unleashed a stream of roots masterpieces. 'Roots Natty,' 'Bongo Red,' 'Jah Jah Go Before Us,' and 'Mr. Baldwin' were all huge hits in Jamaica, as well as storming across the British reggae underground. In 1974, asked and to provided musical backing for 'Jah Vengeance,' which was recorded at 's Black Ark studios. Impressed, employed the pair on a number of his own productions, while also producing a handful of ' own songs, including 'Time' and 'Untrue Girl.'

Sadly, and ' equally strong personalities clashed in the studio, and their partnership came to a rather abrupt end. In 1976, inked a deal with Virgin Records in Britain, and began work on their label debut with producer Prince Tony Robinson. The end result was the glorious album, a set stuffed with hits, phenomenal revisions of earlier Studio One numbers including 'Mix Up,' a re-cut of 'Bongo Red,' and a couple of mighty covers thrown in for good measure. The trio followed this masterpiece up with the equally essential in 1978 and completed the triptych of classic albums with the following year., which arrived in 1980, was almost as good.

Meanwhile, was busily digging into the vaults, unleashing a stream of ' singles, before finally disappointing just about everyone with Presenting the Gladiators, a compilation of the group's Studio One recordings which infuriatingly omitted a clutch of crucial numbers. Still, even as were virtually untouchable in Jamaica, they'd yet to really break out abroad, and thus in 1980, the trio joined with the king of crossover, who oversaw the group's eponymous album.

Gladiator Cast

It was a major mistake, and won the group few fans, and lost them many of their older followers. Interest in reggae was fading, and back home DJs ruled the roost.

Virgin soon closed the door of their reggae subsidiary Front Line, and turned their attention back to homegrown talent. By the early '80s, roots bands were expiring faster than journalists could write their obits. But weren't willing to call it a day yet. Now working with the U.S. Reggae label Nighthawk, they unleashed two fabulous albums, 1982's, followed by in 1984. In 1993, Nighthawk released the equally crucial, bundling up an album's worth of recordings from this period.

In 1985, the group moved to Heartbeat, where over the last half of the decade they unleashed a trio of excellent albums; Country Life arrived in 1985, followed three years later, while their final set for the label, appeared in 1989. The first two albums were later reissued on CD under the title.

The Gladiators continued recording high-quality albums throughout the '90s, including. Even the departure of during this period could not quell ' spirit or ' drive. The group kicked off the new millennium with the, for the RAS label.

Like, vocal abilities are matched by their musical talent, making them one of the rare Jamaican groups that actually are a band in the true sense of the word. Thus, while every vocal group has its own unique sound, created a distinct style, one that shone forth regardless of producer. Lyrics, filled with Biblical passages and parables, is equally notable, as is his astonishing ability to take inspiration from other artists' songs. The album, released in 2005 on Ras/Sanctuary, finds working with his sons, singer Al Griffiths and drummer, and has been represented as ' farewell to his fans, with his sons taking over and continuing the name in the future.