Leslie Kong signed Bob Marley to Beverley’s record label in the early 1960s.
Kong was a Jamaican-Chinese record producer and the owner of Beverley’s Records. He worked with Marley during the singer’s early solo period and produced recordings including “Judge Not,” Marley’s first single, and later early material associated with the Wailers.
Beverley’s was one of the Jamaican labels helping develop the island’s recording industry before reggae became a worldwide commercial style. Kong’s work brought together local singers, studio musicians, and international musical influences.
Kong is often confused with later figures in Marley’s career. Chris Blackwell was the Island Records executive who helped make the Wailers internationally successful, while Lee “Scratch” Perry worked with the early Wailers on important recordings after Kong’s period.