Holt, Nooks to reignite Studio 38

Garfene Grandison, Gleaner Writer

After a one-month hiatus, the live concert series at Studio 38 returns today at 6 p.m. at the Pulse Centre, Trafalgar Road. Sunday sees the return of rocksteady's greatest living legend, the inimitable John Holt.

Holt's masterful performance at the first ever show in the Studio 38 series in January, left his audience clamouring for more. Since that time, the requests for his return have been unrelenting and could not be ignored.

Also joining in the performance at Studio 38 is the prolific George Nooks. Both artistes will be backed by Lloyd Parks and We the People band.

When it comes to making hit songs, Nooks has it down cold.

Bridge Over Troubled Water, How Great Thou Art and God Is Standing By have cemented Nooks into the hearts of music lovers, holding top spots on the charts.

Like most great singers, Nooks started his musical career in the church. A former youth choir member, Nooks soon found out that he wanted to do much more than sing in a choir. Before long, he was performing at school concerts and according to him, he "always managed to mash up the place".

He gained steady momentum in 1994 with the release of the single/video I Don't Care/Bad Minded People. It was an instant hit that increased his visibility and quickly made Nooks a force to contend with. Also in 1994, Legendary Records released Love In Time, a smooth ballad which was followed by Hold It Down (Total Records). Van Gibbs, the Palm Tree Enterprises producer, released Not Guilty with Nooks. The song did well on the international scene. Nooks is no 'one hit-wonder'.

First hit

Not long after leaving Oberlin High School where he won several talent competitions, Nooks was making guest appearances at stage shows. His first hit came when he recorded the song Forty Leg Dread, (recorded under the name Prince Mohammed).

Even as Forty Leg Dread was enjoying chart success, George released Tribal War (under the name George Nooks). He pulled off something no singer had managed to achieve, having two hit songs simultaneously under two different names.

With many recordings and over 25 hits with various producers and record labels in Jamaica, including a Platinum record for One Time Daughter/Someone Loves You Honey (Ariola/J. Gibbs), Nooks took pole position as one of the hottest entertainers around town. The artiste went on an international tour, performing in Europe, Canada, United States and the Caribbean.