The Itals

The Itals didn't complete their third album, Rasta Philosophy, until 1987, but it was received well, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Reggae Album. Not long after its release, Ricketts was sentenced to a prison term, and his slot was to be temporarily filled by onetime solo artist David Isaacs. However, when it was discovered that Ricketts could no longer enter the U.S. legally, Isaacs was made a permanent replacement. He made his recording debut on 1989's Cool and Dread, which proved to be the group's last release of new material on Nighthawk. They moved on to Rhythm Safari for 1991's Easy to Catch, and then fell silent for a time, although they continued to tour extensively. Davis left the group in 1994 and formed a new backing group, Idren, which featured former Westmorelite Roy Smith, as well as Ricketts; they issued the album Come Straight in 1997. Meanwhile, Davis was replaced by Porter's daughter Kada, who made her debut on 1998's Modern Age; that too featured guest vocals from Ricketts. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi