Bob Andy and Friends thanks supporters

The producers of Bob Andy Unplugged: Tribute to the Songwriter, staged at the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium, Jamaica College, last Friday, are happy with the turnout of the public and the support of the night's performers, technicians and sponsors.

Junior Lincoln, producer of the event, said, "We are gratified by the response which the event garnered. Not only were the audience members treated to outstanding performances under the arrangements of Ibo Cooper, Peter Ashbourne and Sean Michael Harris, but they also enjoyed some of the songs from Bob's extensive catalogue, which spans more than 50 years of his career - some of which they had never heard before, or had not attributed as penned by Keith 'Bob Andy' Anderson. This was the concert's success."

The three-hour concert, which featured over 30 Bob Andy-penned songs, opened with the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari and ended with the audience on their feet, Andy leading all the performers and backing orchestra in I've Got to Go Back Home.

In addition, to everyone's surprise, Andy closed the programme's first segment, backed by Desi Jones' band. The introductory segment also featured Myrna Hague, Cezar, Della Manley, Kathy Brown, Mutabaruka, Kai Wakeling, Maurice Gordon, Georgia Henry, Sean Michael Harris, Soul 4 Soul and Dwight Richards, the last with a remarkable rendition of My Time.

great second, third segments

The second half featured Lloyd Parkes and We the People with a 32-piece orchestra accompanying Marcia Griffiths, Pam Hall, Tony Rebel, AJ Brown, Ken Boothe and Ibo Cooper on the melodica.

Dean Fraser's Band took the third and final segment, which opened with Nambo Robinson's presentation of Ska Music, followed by Nadine Sutherland and Chevaughn, who had the auditorium singing along to Fire Burning, while Big Youth had the audience entranced with Zion. Marcia Griffiths made her second appearance in the final segment with It's Impossible, a classic Bob Andy love ballad. Others in the set also included Natel, Denyque, Protoje, Luciano and Freddie McGregor.

Bob Andy, in giving thanks to all on Friday night, said, "All the love I missed as a child is here in this auditorium tonight. Thank you."

"We thank everyone for their labour of love on this project and not only helping to make it a success, but also helping to re-cement Bob as one of the industry's consummate songwriters of our time," Lincoln said.

The tribute concert was the collaborative effort of the Friends of Bob Andy and the Bob Andy Song Foundation. The Bob Andy Song Foundation was established to handle Bob's current and future medical expenses, as well as other charitable endeavours. All proceeds from the Bob Andy Unplugged concert benefit Bob Andy's medical care and recovery and the foundation's work to nurture and inspire young songwriters.