Bill Nighy to narrate Blackwell’s tale of founding Island Records

Bill Nighy will narrate the audiobook version of Chris Blackwell’s The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond, Nine Eight Books has announced. 

Bob Marley, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones and Roxy Music, among others, made iconic record company Island Records their home, and Chris Blackwell, who shared the same “outsider, maverick spirit”, was at its helm for 30 years. 

The blurb to the book, which will be released on 2nd June, reads: “Unquestionably one of the greatest labels of all time, with a roster unparalleled in terms of richness and diversity and celebrating the 60th anniversary of its UK base in 2022, Island unfailingly signposted the musical zeitgeist. At its helm, navigating for 30 years with the vision and instincts of an outsider himself, was Chris Blackwell."

Nighy, an award-winning actor, best-known for his leading roles in “Love Actually”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Underworld” and more, said: “Chris Blackwell has lived an extraordinarily rich and colourful life: from Jamaica in the 1940s to London in the ’60s and Miami in the ’90s. It has been a great pleasure for me to bring this to life for listeners.” 

With the publication of The Islander coinciding with his 85th birthday, Blackwell said: “It’s over 60 years since I started Island Records. It seems a good time to write about the people and musicians I’ve worked with and the places I’ve loved. It’s been quite a trip.”

On the audiobook, he said: “When I came across Bill’s voice, I immediately knew this was it. He will bring my stories to life.” Marina Stavropoulou, senior editor of audio at Bonnier Books UK, added: “Rarely have narrator and subject been easier or more satisfying to match than Bill Nighy and Chris Blackwell. Bill Nighy’s distinct style perfectly captures the essence of Blackwell’s story: the extraordinary people, exotic locations and, of course, the five decades of timeless music. It’s a remarkable life story that demanded a remarkable narrator, and in Bill Nighy the listeners get all that and more. It has truly been a pleasure and an honour to have worked with him on this project.”