Janet Kay

British reggae singer, born in London, who was 21 years old when her single Silly Games (UK 1979) (opens in a new tab) rocketed to No. 2 on the UK chart in the summer of 1979. It was one of Britain's biggest ever reggae hits, and was a perfect example of the genre's tender soulful category known as Lovers Rock (opens in a new tab). Kay was on vacation in the Netherlands at the time of the records success, unaware that Silly Games was climbing the charts. During the late 1970s and early 80s, reggae (including Kay's other records) was widely ignored by the radio establishment in Britain. Silly Games had a quirky distinguishing feature, that of Janet's thin voice straining to reach the ultra-high notes of the song's climax. It remained her only pop crossover hit, but later records (such as the 1982 album Capricorn Woman (France 1982) (opens in a new tab), produced by leading UK reggae wizard Dennis Bovell) continued to be well received in the specialist market.