Jerry Dammers is an English musician, composer, and activist best known as the founder, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the influential ska revival band The Specials. Born Jeremy David Hounsell Dammers on May 22, 1955, in Ootacamund, India, he moved to Coventry, England, at a young age. In the late 1970s, Dammers played a pivotal role in shaping the UK’s music landscape by forming The Specials and co-founding the 2 Tone Records label, which fused punk energy with Jamaican ska and reggae rhythms, fostering a movement that celebrated racial unity.

His songwriting addressed social and political themes, notably in the anthemic "Ghost Town," which became a defining soundtrack to the economic and social turmoil of early 1980s Britain. After The Specials disbanded in 1981, Dammers continued to champion anti-racist and anti-apartheid causes, famously organizing Artists Against Apartheid and writing the powerful protest single "Free Nelson Mandela" in 1984. Though less frequently in the public eye in later years, Dammers has remained an iconic figure, respected for both his musical innovation and committed activism.