FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Black History Month will be Jammin’ at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Rock Hall celebrates reggae music for Black History Month;
Inductee Chris Blackwell and legendary reggae artists Toots Hibbert and the Mighty Diamonds to headline the month’s programs
CLEVELAND (January 17, 2007) – In celebration of Black History Month, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has planned a month-long tribute to reggae music. Headlining this year’s celebration are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and the man who brought Bob Marley to the masses; Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals; and the Mighty Diamonds, reggae music’s premier harmony trio.
Originating from the island of Jamaica, reggae has had an enormous impact on rock and roll, most notably through Bob Marley’s international influence. Artists ranging from Eric Clapton to Tom Petty, the Clash, and Paul Simon all fell under the sway of reggae’s groove and brought its styles into their work. Through the person of Kool Herc, Jamaican “toasting” and soundsystem traditions figured into the birth of hip-hop. It would be hard to tell the story of rock and roll without factoring in Jamaican contributions.
Like funk, reggae emphasizes the groove, but it was also through the music’s lyrics that Jamaican recordings exercised a profound influence on popular music worldwide. Post-colonial life in Jamaica, brutal on the underclasses and played out in equally brutal race politics, has been such that reggae lyrics have always had a deep sense of urgency. The politics incorporated into Jamaican music have never felt anything less than crucial. For many in the rock and roll world, reggae in particular provided a model of how politics and music can come together, and can even spearhead social change.
The Rock Hall’s Black History Month schedule of events:
**Unless otherwise noted, all events are free with a reservation. Members can RSVP starting January 19 by emailing edu@rockhall.org or calling 216.515.8426. Please include your membership number. General public can RSVP starting January 23 using the same email and phone number**
February 6, 4:30 p.m., Case Western Reserve University Baker Nord Center
Opening the month’s programs will be a lecture by Kenyon Professor Ennis Edmonds on the subject of “Rastafari and Reggae: A Marriage Made in Jamaica.” This lecture is presented in cooperation with Case’s Music and Religion Departments.
February 7, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum 4th Floor Theater
Jamaican Music on Film: An evening of reggae Cinema.
February 11, Reggae brunch featuring music by Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band, Parkview Nite Club Restaurant, 1261 West 58th Street Brunch starts at 11:00 a.m. and the band will perform from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door.
February 20, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum 4th Floor Theater
A Hall of Fame Series with inductee Chris Blackwell.
Blackwell founded Island Records in 1961 to exploit the growing interest in the ska of Duke Reid, Leslie Kong and Sir Coxsone Dodd. In 1964 Blackwell produced “My Boy Lollipop” by a 15-year-old Jamaican girl named Millie. It became the worldwide hit that launched Island Record’s global fortunes. While promoting “My Boy Lollipop” Blackwell heard the young white soul singer Stevie Winwood, and quickly signed the prodigy. This led to classic hits with the Spencer Davis Group and then Traffic, and the beginning of Blackwell’s special association with British rock. Island was the launching pad for the recording career of such legendary acts as Free, Cat Stevens, Spooky Tooth, Robert Palmer, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Mott the Hoople, and Roxy Music.
The Island label’s reputation for signing and developing innovative musical acts continued throughout the 70s and 80s. Blackwell’s creative instincts were perhaps represented most imaginatively by the “invention” of model turned singer Grace Jones, and his commercial instincts represented most dramatically by the success of U2. Blackwell was also instrumental in launching other important record labels inspired by Island such as Chrysalis, Virgin, Ze and ZTT. Blackwell the first major label executive to expose African musicians, including Baaba Maal and King Sunny Ade, to a wider western audience – and with the forming of the Mango label in the early 1980s, he helped conceive the whole idea of what has become known as ‘world music.’
Despite the enormity of these other success stories, Blackwell will be remembered as the man who introduced the world at large to Bob Marley and reggae music. Blackwell’s production of the Wailers’ album Catch A Fire changed reggae music forever, bringing Jamaican music to mainstream Western ears, and giving Marley the chance to become the first third world superstar. Artists such as Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear, Third World and Black Uhuru not only added a multicultural component to pop music in general but also had lasting influence on Island Records labelmates and recording artists worldwide.
Blackwell sold Island Records in 1989 to Polygram but remained active in the company until 1997. He then reactivated the idea of Island Records for the new computer driven world by forming the radical multi-media entertainment company Palm Pictures – a company dedicated to releasing provocative, experimental films and DVD’s, and music that develops Blackwell’s enduring fascination with creating visionary new hybrids by mixing black and white, acoustic and electronic, the poetic and political.
In 2001, Chris Blackwell was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2004 he was awarded the Order of Jamaica for philanthropy and outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.
February 21, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
A special Black History Month edition of From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits with Mikey Dread, reggae star and Clash collaborator, who will perform with his band and discuss his decades long career. An artist and producer, Dread helped launch many artists, from Earl 16, Edi Fitzroy, Rod Taylor, Sugar Minott, Junior Murvin and the Roots Radics Band to the Clash, Japanese rock band Anarchy and Izzy Stradlin (ex Guns ‘n’ Roses). In addition to his work with the Clash, Dread has also recorded with UB40 and has collaborated with Seal. He is currently touring and promoting his most recent release, “Rasta in Control.”
February 23, 8:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Main Stage
A performance by reggae music’s premier harmony trio, the Mighty Diamonds. Opening the show will be Dub Flex, a Cleveland reggae band. Tickets to this event are $10 and will be available at the Museum box office and through Ticketmaster. Tickets go on sale to Museum members on January 19 and to the general public on January 23.
February 26, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
Reggae scholar and collector Roger Steffens will present an evening of unreleased filmed interviews and performances by many legends of reggae. Among others, Steffans is the co-author of Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Definitive Discography and the founding editor of The [Reggae and African] Beat magazine. He has lectured worldwide including the Smithsonian Institution, Experience Music Project, American Film Institute and Schomburg Center for Black Research of the New York Public Library. He has also interviewed Bob Marley, Keith Richards, Jimmy Cliff, Ray Charles and hundreds more reggae, world beat, and pop artists.
February 27, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals will close the month with an evening of music and conversation. Hibbert is one of the true architects of reggae - so much so that “Do the Reggay,” a 1968 single by Hibbert and his group the Maytals, is credited with giving the genre its name. Classic songs written and recorded by Toots and the Maytals have been covered by the likes of the Clash and the Specials, and the group was featured in reggae's greatest breakthrough event – “The Harder They Come,” the 1972 film that became an international sensation.
About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum exists to educate its visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and significance of rock and roll music. The Museum carries out this mission through its efforts to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret this art form.
The Museum is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays the Museum is open until 9:00 p.m. Museum admission is $20 for adults, $14 for seniors (60+), $11 for children (9-12). Children under eight and Museum members are free.
Contact Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
Jenny Steadman / 216.515.1503 / jsteadman@rockhall.org
Margaret Thresher / 216.515.1215 / mthresher@rockhall.org
Black History Month will be Jammin’ at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Rock Hall celebrates reggae music for Black History Month;
Inductee Chris Blackwell and legendary reggae artists Toots Hibbert and the Mighty Diamonds to headline the month’s programs
CLEVELAND (January 17, 2007) – In celebration of Black History Month, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has planned a month-long tribute to reggae music. Headlining this year’s celebration are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and the man who brought Bob Marley to the masses; Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals; and the Mighty Diamonds, reggae music’s premier harmony trio.
Originating from the island of Jamaica, reggae has had an enormous impact on rock and roll, most notably through Bob Marley’s international influence. Artists ranging from Eric Clapton to Tom Petty, the Clash, and Paul Simon all fell under the sway of reggae’s groove and brought its styles into their work. Through the person of Kool Herc, Jamaican “toasting” and soundsystem traditions figured into the birth of hip-hop. It would be hard to tell the story of rock and roll without factoring in Jamaican contributions.
Like funk, reggae emphasizes the groove, but it was also through the music’s lyrics that Jamaican recordings exercised a profound influence on popular music worldwide. Post-colonial life in Jamaica, brutal on the underclasses and played out in equally brutal race politics, has been such that reggae lyrics have always had a deep sense of urgency. The politics incorporated into Jamaican music have never felt anything less than crucial. For many in the rock and roll world, reggae in particular provided a model of how politics and music can come together, and can even spearhead social change.
The Rock Hall’s Black History Month schedule of events:
**Unless otherwise noted, all events are free with a reservation. Members can RSVP starting January 19 by emailing edu@rockhall.org or calling 216.515.8426. Please include your membership number. General public can RSVP starting January 23 using the same email and phone number**
February 6, 4:30 p.m., Case Western Reserve University Baker Nord Center
Opening the month’s programs will be a lecture by Kenyon Professor Ennis Edmonds on the subject of “Rastafari and Reggae: A Marriage Made in Jamaica.” This lecture is presented in cooperation with Case’s Music and Religion Departments.
February 7, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum 4th Floor Theater
Jamaican Music on Film: An evening of reggae Cinema.
February 11, Reggae brunch featuring music by Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band, Parkview Nite Club Restaurant, 1261 West 58th Street Brunch starts at 11:00 a.m. and the band will perform from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door.
February 20, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum 4th Floor Theater
A Hall of Fame Series with inductee Chris Blackwell.
Blackwell founded Island Records in 1961 to exploit the growing interest in the ska of Duke Reid, Leslie Kong and Sir Coxsone Dodd. In 1964 Blackwell produced “My Boy Lollipop” by a 15-year-old Jamaican girl named Millie. It became the worldwide hit that launched Island Record’s global fortunes. While promoting “My Boy Lollipop” Blackwell heard the young white soul singer Stevie Winwood, and quickly signed the prodigy. This led to classic hits with the Spencer Davis Group and then Traffic, and the beginning of Blackwell’s special association with British rock. Island was the launching pad for the recording career of such legendary acts as Free, Cat Stevens, Spooky Tooth, Robert Palmer, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Mott the Hoople, and Roxy Music.
The Island label’s reputation for signing and developing innovative musical acts continued throughout the 70s and 80s. Blackwell’s creative instincts were perhaps represented most imaginatively by the “invention” of model turned singer Grace Jones, and his commercial instincts represented most dramatically by the success of U2. Blackwell was also instrumental in launching other important record labels inspired by Island such as Chrysalis, Virgin, Ze and ZTT. Blackwell the first major label executive to expose African musicians, including Baaba Maal and King Sunny Ade, to a wider western audience – and with the forming of the Mango label in the early 1980s, he helped conceive the whole idea of what has become known as ‘world music.’
Despite the enormity of these other success stories, Blackwell will be remembered as the man who introduced the world at large to Bob Marley and reggae music. Blackwell’s production of the Wailers’ album Catch A Fire changed reggae music forever, bringing Jamaican music to mainstream Western ears, and giving Marley the chance to become the first third world superstar. Artists such as Toots and the Maytals, Burning Spear, Third World and Black Uhuru not only added a multicultural component to pop music in general but also had lasting influence on Island Records labelmates and recording artists worldwide.
Blackwell sold Island Records in 1989 to Polygram but remained active in the company until 1997. He then reactivated the idea of Island Records for the new computer driven world by forming the radical multi-media entertainment company Palm Pictures – a company dedicated to releasing provocative, experimental films and DVD’s, and music that develops Blackwell’s enduring fascination with creating visionary new hybrids by mixing black and white, acoustic and electronic, the poetic and political.
In 2001, Chris Blackwell was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2004 he was awarded the Order of Jamaica for philanthropy and outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.
February 21, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
A special Black History Month edition of From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits with Mikey Dread, reggae star and Clash collaborator, who will perform with his band and discuss his decades long career. An artist and producer, Dread helped launch many artists, from Earl 16, Edi Fitzroy, Rod Taylor, Sugar Minott, Junior Murvin and the Roots Radics Band to the Clash, Japanese rock band Anarchy and Izzy Stradlin (ex Guns ‘n’ Roses). In addition to his work with the Clash, Dread has also recorded with UB40 and has collaborated with Seal. He is currently touring and promoting his most recent release, “Rasta in Control.”
February 23, 8:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Main Stage
A performance by reggae music’s premier harmony trio, the Mighty Diamonds. Opening the show will be Dub Flex, a Cleveland reggae band. Tickets to this event are $10 and will be available at the Museum box office and through Ticketmaster. Tickets go on sale to Museum members on January 19 and to the general public on January 23.
February 26, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
Reggae scholar and collector Roger Steffens will present an evening of unreleased filmed interviews and performances by many legends of reggae. Among others, Steffans is the co-author of Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Definitive Discography and the founding editor of The [Reggae and African] Beat magazine. He has lectured worldwide including the Smithsonian Institution, Experience Music Project, American Film Institute and Schomburg Center for Black Research of the New York Public Library. He has also interviewed Bob Marley, Keith Richards, Jimmy Cliff, Ray Charles and hundreds more reggae, world beat, and pop artists.
February 27, 7:00 p.m., Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, 4th Floor Theater
Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals will close the month with an evening of music and conversation. Hibbert is one of the true architects of reggae - so much so that “Do the Reggay,” a 1968 single by Hibbert and his group the Maytals, is credited with giving the genre its name. Classic songs written and recorded by Toots and the Maytals have been covered by the likes of the Clash and the Specials, and the group was featured in reggae's greatest breakthrough event – “The Harder They Come,” the 1972 film that became an international sensation.
About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum exists to educate its visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and significance of rock and roll music. The Museum carries out this mission through its efforts to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret this art form.
The Museum is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays the Museum is open until 9:00 p.m. Museum admission is $20 for adults, $14 for seniors (60+), $11 for children (9-12). Children under eight and Museum members are free.
Contact Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum:
Jenny Steadman / 216.515.1503 / jsteadman@rockhall.org
Margaret Thresher / 216.515.1215 / mthresher@rockhall.org
