"I was born on Rousseau Road/the number was 21A," so Jacob Miller sang on "Killer Miller." In actuality, the star apparently hailed from Mandeville, in the Jamaican hills; however, his single mother sent her son to live with his grandparents in Kingston, and thus he did indeed grow up on Rousseau Road. His date of birth is equally contentious, with claims made for both 1952 and 1955, while one can infer from interviews with Augustus Pablo an even later date, circa 1960.
There's no doubt though that Miller was a handful, star struck, and desperate to be a star himself. Coxsone Dodd gave him his first shot in 1968, when the youth recorded a few songs for the producer, including the single "Love Is the Message." It barely caused a ripple, but did catch the attention of Augustus Pablo, who gave the song airing at his Rockers Sound System.
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