Joe Higgs, the man credited with nurturing the career of the Wailers, will be one of the honorees at the Tribute To The Greats show scheduled for the Curphey Place in St Andrew on August 1.

Higgs, who died from cancer in the United States in December 1999 at age 59, was a mentor to the budding harmony group which formed in Trench Town during the early 1960s. The group had several hit songs including Simmer Down, Lonesome Feeling and It Hurts To Be Alone.

Three of its members, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, became reggae superstars a decade later.

hit song

Higgs was an established artiste when he met the Wailers. In 1958, he and Roy Wilson (as Higgs and Wilson) recorded the hit song, Manny Oh, for producer Edward Seaga.

Others to be honoured are performer/producer Winston Riley; Keith Lyn, former singer with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires; musician/artiste Charles 'Charlie Organaire' Cameron; tour promoter/booking agent Copeland Forbes; Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell of Stone Love Movement; journalist Basil Walters; promoter Victor Chen and band leader Harold Richardson.

Tributes To The Greats is the brainchild of Kingsley Goodison, who has followed the local music scene since the early 1960s. First held in 1998, the event has honoured several pioneers of reggae music including Seaga, Jamaica's fifth prime minister; Theophilus Beckford; Marcia Griffiths; Toots Hibbert and Leroy Sibbles.

- Howard Campbell