Tributes continue to roll in following the death of Fredrick ‘Toots’ Hibbert,
Reggae icon who died on Friday. Among those paying tribute are Prime
Minister Andrew Holness, Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips and musician
Mick Jagger.
Toots was 77 and died less than two weeks after he was hospitalized. After a
long break from the Jamaica Festival Song Contest that was one of the events
propelling him into public acclaim, Toots entered this year’s Contest at the end
of July.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness in his tribute calls Toots a legend and said his
death “represents a loss to the musical landscaper.”
Mr Holness said: “'Toots' was a soul rocker and a stellar performer having
brought recognition to Jamaica through the iconic band, 'Toots and the Maytals'.
He was certainly one of Jamaica’s finest artistes who will never be forgotten."
Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips said one of the most profound and
thoughtful influencers of Jamaican music.
He said: “Toots captured the true spirit of the people in their urban and rural
settings, and registered their range of experiences through his music. In tunes
like ‘Sweet and Dandy’, ‘54-46’, ‘Pressure Drop’ and others, he understood
what it meant to be Jamaican, chronicling our joys, struggles, pressures and the
very essence of Jamaicaness.”
And Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones mentioned his first hearing ‘Pressure
drops’ which he said was a big moment. “[Toots] had such a powerful voice and
on stage he always gave the audience his total energy.”
