Emile Ford was a Saint Lucian singer and sound engineer born Michael Emile Telford Miller on October 16, 1937, in Castries. He moved to London in the mid-1950s and taught himself to play instruments including the guitar, piano, and drums. In 1959, he formed the group Emile Ford & the Checkmates. Their first self-produced recording, “What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?”, reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1959. Ford was the first Black British artist to sell one million copies of a single. The ensemble received the Best New Act award from New Musical Express readers in 1960. His discography included the studio recordings Emile (1961) and My Kind of Country Music (1976). Ford also pioneered sound engineering, creating a backing track system for stage shows that provided a basis for karaoke. Ford died on April 11, 2016.
