BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON AND RICHARD JOHNSON—
In tribute to singer John Holt who died on October 20 in London, England, the Jamaica Observer presents ‘Holt a Day’, a daily feature leading up to his funeral, which is slated for November 15.
BUNNY Wailer was a member of The Wailers when John Holt was rocking dancehalls with The Paragons in the mid-1960s. But Wailer’s memories of the singer go beyond music.
He knew of Holt while he (Wailer) was attending Camperdown High School in east Kingston.
“I was very keen on listening to him as I knew him from he was playing Matcham (Cup) cricket, making centuries for his team. JK Holt, his uncle, was a major player for the West Indies cricket team,” recalled Wailer.
“He recorded with Duke Reid with the Paragons that also in those early times involved Bob Andy. They were both to leave and become solo artists and that’s where I really got acquainted with him, over at Studio One with The Wailers.”
Like his colleagues in The Wailers, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer has had a successful solo career. He says he kept in touch with Holt and his career over the years.
“For his contribution to the music, I hope his Estate is not going to be mired into what is happening for all our foundation artists. Walk good, my brother, you batted well until now,” said Wailer.
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