4. Nadine Sutherland
Eleven-year-old Sutherland burst unto the scene in 1979, besting Yellowman and Paul Blake (who later became the leader of the Bloodfire Posse) in the first Tastee Talent Contest. Recording a song was part of her prize for winning the competition, and her hit single, Starvation on the Land, was produced by none other than Bob Marley. In fact, he signed the pre-teen to his Tuff Gong label.
Unfortunately, he died two years later and the young singer’s career floundered. Sutherland roared back to life in 1993 with the hit ‘Action’ featuring Terror Fabulous, which reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. She rode another wave of fame as a judge on popular local talent show Rising Stars from 2003 to 2011. Her 2007 album Call My Name was a hit in Jamaica and on reggae charts in Florida and New York, and was nominated for two awards at the 21st Canadian Reggae Music Awards (CRMA) in 2008, where she received a special Merit Award for her contribution to reggae music.
