Beres, Isaacs, ET Webster to be honoured at Sumfest

Singers Beres Hammond, Gregory Isaacs and Erroll 'ET' Webster are to be honoured at this year's Reggae Sumfest.

Hammond returns to Sumfest after a three-year hiatus and will be given an award from Summerfest Productions, organisers of Reggae Sumfest. Hammond is the third act to be awarded over the years, the first being Beenie Man, and last year Bounty Killer was given his accolades.

This year Johnny Gourzong, executive director of Summerfest Productions, has the Moment in Time singer on the line-up once again.

"Beres is an icon and a cornerstone of the Jamaican music industry. We at Reggae Sumfest are very pleased to be presenting this great reggae artiste and felt that he deserves to be recognised for his enormous contribution to the growth and development of our music. A Reggae Sumfest without Beres never truly feels complete," said Gourzong.

Hammond is known for hits such as No Disrespect, Can't Stop A Man From Trying, Standing In My Way and She Loves Me Now.

In a release sent to The Gleaner, Hammond's manager Mervis Walsh said the smooth crooner is eager to deliver out west.

"Beres loves to perform at Sumfest because of the exceptional reception he gets. It's been a while since he has graced the stage at Catherine Hall and he has made it clear that he will be delivering one of the best sets locally, come July," said Walsh.

Sumfest will also be honouring singer Gregory Isaacs with a tribute. The singer, known for hits such as Night Nurse and My Only Lover, died October of last year at age 60. Reggae band Chalice is set to deliver a tribute to the late Isaacs.

"He was one of those guys who was a spontaneous songwriter. He wrote a lot of his songs on the spot and that's what made him special," said Chalice guitarist/vocalist Wayne Armond.

Never given his due

Armond is also of the opinion that Isaacs was never given his due.

"He's such an outstanding figure in the world of reggae music and he's contributed greatly to its growth and success worldwide. He was a crowd-pleaser to the very end and he was a favourite on the festival. He will certainly be missed," Gourzong said of Isaacs.

Errol 'ET' Webster is a popular roots rock reggae singer hailing from western Jamaica, who will also be getting an award.

Webster is best known for his reggae ballad Can We Meet, which topped charts in Jamaica during the mid-1980s.

The awards and tribute will be given on International Night 2, Saturday, July 23.

Reggae Sumfest takes place from July 17-23 in Montego Bay and is sponsored by Red Stripe Bold, Jamaica Tourist Board, Digicel, Iberostar, The Gleaner and newcomers Pepsi.

Tickets' are available online June 30 and in outlets July 1. Sumfest will feature International stars Nikki Minaj and R. Kelly, and Jamaican superstars Ce'Cile, Tifa, KipRich, Protoje, Jah Cure, Half Pint and Konshens.