The family of Granville Leonard Straker, pioneering Caribbean music producer, entrepreneur and founder of the legendary Straker’s Records, announces with profound sadness his passing on August 27, 2026, at the age of 86.
Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on September 12, 1939, to the late Irena Straker and Clement Straker, Granville Straker became one of the most consequential figures in the production, preservation and international distribution of calypso and soca music.
Straker’s entrepreneurial involvement in Caribbean music began before the creation of his record label. Beginning in Brooklyn in the 1960s and expanding during the 1970s, he established record retail outlets serving the growing Caribbean community, including his landmark Straker’s Records location at 242 Utica Avenue in Brooklyn and on Nostrand Ave, with additional retail presence in St. Vincent and Trinidad. These outlets, together with his production and distribution network, helped connect Caribbean artists, recordings and audiences across the region and throughout the diaspora.
In 1971, Straker founded Straker’s Records in Brooklyn, New York, creating a platform for Caribbean artists at a pivotal moment in the growth of New York’s West Indian community. What began as an entrepreneurial venture developed into one of the most important catalogs in Caribbean popular music.
Over approximately three decades, Straker said his label released an estimated 600 to 700 albums, more than 1,000 twelve-inch records and several thousand singles. Its roster included generations of celebrated artists such as Calypso Rose, The Mighty Shadow, Black Stalin, Chalkdust, Lord Nelson, Lord Melody, Mighty Duke, Explainer, Winston Soso, Singing Francine and Machel Montano, among many others.
Two recordings illustrate the enduring importance of the Straker’s catalog: The Mighty Shadow’s
“Bassman,” released by Straker’s Records in the 1970s and now regarded as one of Shadow’s signature recordings, and Black Stalin’s “AhFeel to Party,” which later gave its name to the acclaimed retrospective collection The Best of Straker’s: Ah Feel to Party.
Straker’s impact was recognized throughout the Caribbean music community. Among his honors was the Martin’s International/Inter-Culture Award of Honor, presented at the 2009 International Reggae & World Music Awards. In 2014, he was also honored in Brooklyn for “Excellence in Worldwide Music Production over the Years,” recognition that reflected decades of work on behalf of Caribbean artists and culture.
Straker was much more than a record-label owner. He served at various times as a producer, promoter, talent scout, distributor, businessman and cultural visionary, traveling throughout the Caribbean in search of emerging talent and giving artists access to professional recording and international distribution.
His Brooklyn businesses became gathering places for Caribbean immigrants seeking the music and culture of home. At its height, Straker’s operation included multiple Brooklyn record stores, while Straker’s Records & Stereo became synonymous with Caribbean music retail in New York.
A defining creative partnership began in 1978 when fellow Vincentian musician and arranger Frankie McIntosh joined Straker’s Records as musical director. McIntosh led the studio band The Equitables, arranged music for scores of Straker artists and oversaw hundreds of recording sessions. Together, Straker and McIntosh helped shape a sophisticated Brooklyn-based calypso and soca sound whose influence extended throughout the Caribbean and its diaspora.
Through Straker’s vision, Caribbean performers who might otherwise have struggled for access to the international recording industry were given a platform. His work helped connect the islands with communities in New York, Toronto, London and elsewhere and contributed to establishing Brooklyn as a major center of Caribbean music production and distribution.
To his family, however, Granville Straker was much more than a pioneering figure in music.
He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, relative, mentor and friend whose determination, entrepreneurial spirit and devotion to Caribbean culture shaped generations around him.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean“Patsy”Straker Jackson, who played a foundational role in the early development of Straker’s Records.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Beverly Straker, who stood faithfully by his side, offering steadfast love, companionship and support throughout the later chapters of his extraordinary life and career.
He is also survived by his children and their spouses:
Leroy Straker
Shirley Straker Stafford and her husband, Deward Stafford
Suzanne Straker Greenidge-Hewitt, M.D. and her husband, Marstus Hewitt Granville Straker Jr.
Lavern Straker
Clement Straker and his wife, Lori Straker Allan Straker
He also leaves his grandchildren, Nicholas, Ashley, Shannon, Sherrell, Leroy Jr., Lamont, Lauren, Kellie, Hayden, Michael, Romel, Tammie, Dasia, Makaelah and Jaelee. Many other extended family, musicians, artists, colleagues and an international Caribbean community whose lives and culture were touched by his work.
His daughter, Dr. Suzanne Straker Greenidge-Hewitt, said the family hopes this moment will not only commemorate his passing but ensure that the magnitude of his contribution to Caribbean history is preserved for future generations.
“My father spent his life creating opportunities for Caribbean artists and making certain that our music could be heard beyond the shores of the islands. For our family, preserving his legacy means preserving an important part of Caribbean history. His work lives in the music, in the artists he championed and in generations of people around the world who still hear home when they hear those recordings.”
From St. Vincent and the Grenadines to Brooklyn and across the Caribbean diaspora, Granville Leonard Straker helped build a bridge through music.
