Rocksteady legend Leroy Sibbles is writing his memoirs and plans to release the book this year. In it, the former member of The Heptones traces his roots in Trench Town, his storied but at times turbulent time with that group, and his life and career in Canada.
Sibbles also details his years at the legendary Studio One and his relationship with its founder, Clement “Coxson” Dodd.
He said the book is a long time coming.
“It was about 10 years after I arrived in Canada, I was working with a woman named Fern Elliot and she indicated that she was interested in getting my story published. I gave her a lot of historical material so she could start writing it and unfortunately the business relationship ended abruptly and I had no way to get the material back so I shelved the idea,” he said.
The Heptones story and Sibbles’ accomplishments as a singer/songwriter, arranger and bass guitarist have been documented in books on reggae, but a comprehensive tome on his personal side has never been published.
He feels the time is right to get his story out there, and there is no better person to tell it than him.
“When I look back at my career that spans over 50 years, I am amazed that the work I did and is still relevant today. Given the influence I have had on the foundation of the reggae rhythm and that that foundation is still current today, I would say that is the area that deserves the biggest focus as that is where my influence has been greatest,” he stated.
Another aspect of his career that gets a fair amount of coverage in the book is the classic Heptones On Top album, recorded at Studio One. Its songs and rhythms have been covered by countless artists and producers.
According to Sibbles, “It is often sighted by artists as one of the great classics of reggae.”
There is no official release date for the yet-titled autobiography, but Sibbles said it will be worth the wait.
—By Howard Campbell
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