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BY HOWARD CAMPBELL
Observer senior writer—-
 Back row, from left Ian Lewis, Michael Rose, Bernard “Touter” Harvey and Tommy Cowan.
Front row, from left Carlene Davis, Olivia Grange and Roger Lewis.
Torrential rain drenched Circle House as past and present members of Inner Circle and Third World jammed 96 Degrees In The Shade last Saturday in North Miami. Quite the irony, but it failed to put a damper on a unique occasion.
The gala celebrated the 50th anniversary of Inner Circle, one of reggae’s most enduring bands, led by brothers Roger and Ian Lewis. Musicians and artistes associated with the band since 1968 rolled into the sprawling Circle House complex to acknowledge their staying power and success.
 The event closed just after midnight with a rollicking jam session that included early Inner Circle members Prilly Hamilton on vocals, Willie Stewart on drums, keyboardists Ibo Cooper and guitarist Steven “Cat” Coore.
They were joined by Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick and A J Brown, current singers for Inner Circle and Third World, long-time Inner Circle keyboardist Bernard “Touter” Harvey, and former Third World drummer Cornel Marshall.
 Colin Leslie, a founding member of Third World, also attended what he described as “a massive occasion”.
“Inner Circle is a symbol of not only success but the reward of hard work,” Leslie added.
Stewart, the band’s “foundation drummer” agreed.
 “They’ve done incredibly well, I’m proud of them. The two brothers are focused, they’re smart investors, they love the music and they just keep on going,” he said.
The evening’s emcee was Tommy Cowan, who managed Inner Circle throughout the 1970s. He had high praise for his former proteges.
 “They were never after stardom. They just loved the music and wanted to play the music which has always been positive,” said Cowan.
Prior to the Inner Circle/Third World jam, Pluto Shervington and Eric “Monty” Morris performed to an audience that also included Entertainment Minister Olivia Grange, Carlene Davis, Michael Rose, Winston Barnes, Lloyd Stanbury, Red Rat, Pitbull, Jo Mersa Marley and members of Lloyd Parks and We The People Band.
 The Lewis siblings formed Inner Circle in 1968 as a show band that played in hotel ballrooms and school barbecues. The initial line-up included Coore, Cooper and Hamilton who left three years later to start Third World.
Inner Circle backed Eric Donaldson on the 1972 Festival Song winner Cherry Oh Baby and The Wailers on their hit song, Stir It Up. They had an extraordinary run of chart triumphs with singer Jacob Miller from 1974 to March 1980 when he was killed in a motor accident.
In 1993, the band won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album with Bad Boys, which contained the monster hit songs Sweat and Bad Boys.
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