Tributes to greats in four categories

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

At its 14th staging on Saturday night at Curphey Place, Swallowfield, St Andrew, King Omar Promotions' Tribute to the Greats will honour eight Jamaican music standouts in four categories.

The Immortal (Gold) award goes to legendary band The Skatalites, while drummer and bandmaster Winston 'Sparrow' Martin, percussionist Larry McDonald, guitarist Dwight Pinkney and singer Millicent 'Patsy' Todd will receive Pioneer Awards.

The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Herbie Miller, former manager of The Skatalites and Peter Tosh and curator of the Jamaica Music Museum. Special awards go to Haldane 'Jimmy Metro' James, owner of Metromedia Sound System, and dance promoter Cecil Simpson.

Todd and McDonald will be coming to Jamaica for Tribute to the Greats 14.

'No one can test it'

Kingsley 'King Omar' Goodison, who puts on Tribute to the Greats, told The Gleaner that he selected the persons for the awards and "no one can test it. I know them (the awardees) and know what they did for Jamaican music."

Goodison says through his work with Studio One he knows the hardships that many of Jamaica's outstanding musicians and singers went through. He said he was in Clement 'Sir Coxson' Dodd's circle for over 40 years and was employed to Studio One. There, he said, "I saw the suffering of the artistes."

However, Goodison's link with Jamaican popular music goes back to childhood. "I grow with it. From the inception of Jamaican popular music I have been a part of it," he said. "From the sound system days with R&B, with Tom the Great Sebastian." Living on Orange Street, he was at the mecca of Jamaican popular music. The beat moved Goodison in more ways than one, and he said, "I was and still am a good dancer."

Attending All-Saints School, with Gregory Isaacs, Bunny Wailer and one of Saturday's awardees, Todd, did not hurt.

So, Goodison says, "is very few people can bring any argument to me about Jamaican music".

He does, however, have a grievance about the level of financial support that he has been receiving. "The problem is sponsorship. One or two people have come on board and we are happy. But you see sponsorship going around to people who not teaching any values," he said, pointing out that the show is not a personal money-making venture.

Among this year's sponsors are Grace Cock Soup Mix, Koll 97 FM, Cuddy'z, Lewins Hardware and the CHASE Fund.

The Jays, Tanice Morrison and Las Perkins, as well as some of the awardees, will perform on Saturday night, to the music of the Rhythm Masters Band. Merritone Music will spin the recorded music.