Reggae legend Toots Hibbert is set to released his 25th studio album posthumously according to Zak Starkey, found of Jamaican Sound System Record label and formerly of Trojan Jamaica.
Starkey, posted the announcement on Instagram Wednesday that the album set to be released later this year will be a tribute to American Soul singer Otis Redding.
“Soon starting work on finishing toots life’s work a tribute to his no1 singer Otis Redding -we had talked about doing this before Toots sadly passed in 2020- incredible record- some was cut in 70s and it’s the real deal – Toots was the greatest singer I ever met and we had a top vibe- Keith Richards and steve Jordan have already contributed and … well u can imagine how great that is – thanks guys. Xx,” he posted.
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Starkey who is a drummer for the Rock band “The Who,” told World Music Views that he acquired the masters for the Country Road singer’s unreleased songs. Hibbert’s final album before he died was Toots and the Maytals’ “Got to Be Tough” released August 2028 Produced by Starkey, with collaborations Ringo Starr who is Zak’s father, Sly Dunbar, Cyril Neville, and Ziggy Marley for a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” The album won the Grammy Award at the 63rd annual Grammys for Best Reggae Album posthumously. He is the only person to win in the category after they have died.
Toots and the Maytals rose to prominence in the Jamaican music scene during the 1960s, recording for producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One then moving on to work with Prince Buster and Byron Lee. Their close-harmony gospel singing, backed by influential bands like the Skatalites, garnered them early success, overshadowing contemporaries like the Wailers. The group’s career was briefly interrupted when lead singer Toots Hibbert served time in jail, during which he reportedly wrote the song “54-46 That’s My Number.” After his release, they began a fruitful collaboration with producer Leslie Kong, producing hits like “Do the Reggay,” which is credited with coining the term “reggae.”
Throughout the 1970s, Toots and the Maytals became international stars, signing with Island Records and touring extensively. They achieved commercial success with albums like “Funky Kingston” and “Reggae Got Soul,” and their songs were featured in the iconic film “The Harder They Come.” The group’s popularity continued into the 1980s, although they eventually disbanded after releasing the album “Knockout” in 1981.
Toots Hibbert pursued a solo career in the 1980s, while the Maytals regrouped with a new lineup in the early 1990s. They continued to tour and record successfully, earning a Grammy nomination for their 2012 live album “Unplugged on Strawberry Hill.”
The album “True Love” released in 2004, also won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 2005 ceremony.
Toots, born Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert died at age 77 on September 11, 2020 after suffering from the Corona Virus illness at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
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