Red Rose for Gregory moves to Mother’s Day
Deniece Williams’ last show as she goes into retirement
Published:Sunday | March 5, 2023 | 1:52 AM
Annual lovers’ concert Red Rose for Gregory is this year claiming its space on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14, at Hope Gardens in Kingston with a stellar line-up headlined by Grammy award-winning group The Manhattans, featuring Gerald Alston and R&B great, Deniece Williams. Brilliant supporting acts are JC Lodge, Etana, Errol Dunkley and Hezron.
“After four successful stagings on Valentine’s Day, the Gregory Isaacs Foundation decided to dedicate this year’s show to the mothers,” said June Isaacs, CEO of the foundation, which was launched in 2010 in memory of the late reggae singer.
The event was last staged in at the end of February 2020 and featured a host of top-class acts, including Sanchez, Third World and rocksteady group, The Melodians.
“Thank God we were the last major show before the pandemic and after the two-year break, we are back. The foundation decided that we can spread love throughout the year and mothers are special. Gregory did a song Thank You Mama, paying tribute to mothers and we are using that as the theme. So it will still be Red Rose for Gregory Mother’s Day Edition. And to our lovers, we will be back,” Isaacs told The Sunday Gleaner.
She added that part proceeds of the event will be earmarked for a children’s charity, a promise that she has kept since Red Rose for Gregory was first staged in 2017.
“While Gregory was alive, he got involved with an institution to assist children who have been identified as being at risk and we decided to keep alive his charitable contribution to the home. We have had other beneficiaries as well,” Isaacs said.
Isaacs shared that Jamaican acts will be paying tribute to Gregory through song at the concert which is named after one of the singer’s classic songs.
Known as the Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs was one of reggae music’s most popular singers in the 1970s and 80s. Milo Miles, writing in The New York Times, described him as “the most exquisite vocalist in reggae”.
According to his bio, Gregory recorded for many of Jamaica’s top producers during the 1970s, including Winston ‘Niney’ Holness, Gussie Clarke, Lloyd Campbell, Glen Brown, Harry Mudie, Roy Cousins, Sydney Crooks and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. By the late 1970s, Isaacs was one of the biggest reggae performers in the world, regularly touring the US and the UK, challenged only by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley.
Isaacs shared that Red Rose for Gregory Mother’s Day Edition will be Deniece Williams’ last show, as she goes into retirement.
“What better place to retire than in Jamaica and on Red Rose for Gregory?” Isaacs asked.
Deniece Williams is known for hit songs such as It’s Going To Take a Miracle, Let’s Hear It For The Boys, Silly and God is Truly Amazing.
Veterans Gerald Alston and The Manhattans have scored over 40 hits on the Billboard R&B chart, starting from as early as the 1960s. Jamaicans have fallen in love with songs such as Kiss and Say Goodbye, Shining Star, and a host of others.
Grammy nominee Etana signed on for the concert from last December and is excited about the event. JC Lodge announced to fans on social media that she will be in Jamaica for this year’s concert and they have responded with glee.
Hezron, whose 2022 album, Man on A Mission(MOAM), is receiving encouraging feedback both locally and internationally, has promised to give a fantastic set.
Red Rose for Gregory will host an Ultra VIP experience with an elevated area giving the best view of the stage, offering complimentary wines, finger foods, red roses, and special parking.