ON December 14 when promoter Andrew Clarke stages his Ole Time Christmas event at Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York City, he plans to recognise Tony Brevett, founding member of The Melodians who died in Miami on October 26.

“Brevett and the Melodians placed Jamaica on the map in a positive way, by bringing music that was later taken by Jimmy Cliff and Boney M that caused the world to acknowledge the arrival of rocksteady and ska before some of the persons we today associate with the genres,” said Clarke.

Trevor McNaughton (left) and Tony Brevett of The Melodians in performance. (PHOTO: WOWHALL.ORG)

Trevor McNaughton, sole surviving member of the group, will perform at the show. He says it will be a bitter-sweet experience.

“It will be a pleasure to do it. I feel sad in myself to know we coming from so long, 51 years and he (Tony) was my left and right hand,” McNaughton told the Sunday Observer.

The Melodians formed in Kingston during the early 1960s. They recorded a number of hits in the rocksteady era later that decade including Little Nut Tree, Come On Little Girl, Swing and Dine and Last Train to Expo 67 for producer Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid.

They also had a massive hit in By The Rivers of Babylon, a spiritual song produced by Leslie Kong.

Brent Dowe, who sang lead on most of the group’s hits, died in January 2006.