Boomer Simpson

Benson Simpson Curtis (b. 10 December 1898 in Bohemia; d. 11 April 1963 in Kingston, aged 64), known professionally as Boomer Simpson, was an Antillan radio broadcaster, sound engineer, record executive, businessman and entrepreneur who was the founder and first president of Nova Zulu Records. Simpson signed multiple Caribbean and Latinamerican musicians and bands to his label between its founding in 1922 and his death in 1963, also acting as manager for several acts, with many achieving international success under his leadership. Some of Simpson's most enduring talent discoveries include Manta Ray, Guns Marco, Happy Kaiser, Billy Bano, Billy Clovis, Sal Jean and Marylou Abbott. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Simpson was considered the wealthiest citizen of Antilla. In addition to his music ventures, Simpson also developed multiple bars, restaurants, hotels, resorts, casinos, cinemas and live venues in 18 Caribbean countries, Mexico, California, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Singapore between the late 1940s and early 1960s. A heavy drinker and user of multiple recreational drugs, often in combination, Simpson was diagnosed with liver cancer in late 1959, from which he died less than four years later in early 1963. Following his death, Nova Zulu Records was acquired by Novamedia Tropical, which maintains the Nova Zulu brand to this day as an imprint of its subsidiary label Nova Records.