KINGSTON, Jamaica —

For the past five years, Althea Brown has belted out the classic Bee Gees song Words at Karaoke events in South Florida. When the time came for her to cut first song as Lady Tia, it was only natural she chose her pet track.

Her version, produced by Richard Grant for Poorman Productions, is a big hit in South Florida and topped Clinton Lindsay’s influential Foundation Network Chart.

“I was in the studio and Richie had this rhythm he created, and he asked me if I wanted to do a song on it. I just walked into the booth and did it,” she said.

According to Lady Tia, she first heard Words through her father whose listening range was wide. The folk track was one of many pre-disco hits for the Gibbs brothers (Barry, Robin and Barry).

Originally from Ensom City in Spanish Town, she migrated to Fort Lauderdale in 1984 and worked as a sound system selector, artiste manager and harmony singer.

She told the JAMAICA OBSERVER ONLINE that the success of Words has not yet sunk in.

Lady Tia

“I’m still pinching myself, to tell the truth. You’ve got to remember, I had nothing else out there so I think the fact that it has done so well speaks volumes,” she said.

Prior to her recording debut, Lady Tia managed veteran singer Marcia J Ball, and appeared on shows as a backing vocalist for acts like Hopeton Lindo, Endel-I and Sammy Dread.

She also helped man her brother’s Love Maker sound system, playing at events across South Florida, Atlanta and New York.

Her confidence as a vocalist grew at Karaoke, and helped when she finally took the plunge as a recording artiste in February.

“I just went in and did my thing. When Richie said I didn’t have to do it over again that was a great feeling,” she said.

By Howard Campbell