Paul Blake (19 October 1965 – 18 May 2017), better known as Frankie Paul, was a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some ‘The Jamaican Stevie Wonder’. Born in Jamaica in 1965, Blake was born blind but as a child had his sight partially restored by an operation on a hospital ship. He sang for, and impressed Stevie Wonder when Wonder visited the school that Blake attended, prompting him to pursue a singing career.Adopting the stage name Frankie Paul, he first found fame in the early 1980s, and he recorded prolifically throughout the decade. He recorded for virtually every producer/studio in Jamaica at some time, and was known to release several albums a year.Notable works of Frankie Paul include the popular “Sara” and “Worries in the Dance”.Paul resided in The Gambia from 1994. In January 2016 he underwent surgery to amputate a foot and part of his leg.Frankie Paul died on 18 May 2017 from complications with his liver at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
