To those who knew him, Dennis Brown was the life of any party. With today (February 1) being his 63rd birthday, the Jamaican government is recognizing the Crown Prince of Reggae’s achievements.
A delegation of national and cultural leaders are scheduled to gather by the singer’s gravesite at National Heroes Park in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, for a floral tribute.
Among them will be Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; Junior Lincoln, chairman of the Dennis Brown Trust; and members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, of which Brown was a member.
The Dennis Brown Trust are partners with the Entertainment ministry in staging the annual free concert bearing the singer’s name. It takes place February 23 at the Kingston waterfront and attracts thousands of fans.
Lincoln, who first met Brown in the early 1970’s, stressed the significance of this event which is literally a stone’s throw from where Brown grew up.
“Bob (Marley) is the king and the artist but people just love Dennis Brown. Every year, we have to be turning back artists because the list (for the show) is so big, but that just shows you how they feel about Dennis,” he said.
Lincoln was distributor for Brown’s 1969 hit song, No Man is an Island, in the United Kingdom. When Brown went to the UK for the first time in 1974, Lincoln was part of his promotion team.
He thinks events like the free concert are critical to keeping Brown’s legacy alive.
“His name should always be out there. He wasn’t just a great singer, he was a beautiful human being,” said Lincoln.
Dennis Brown died in July, 1999 at age 42. He recorded countless hit songs during his 31-year career including If I Follow my Heart, Cassandra, Westbound Train, Here I Come, Revolution, Ghetto Girl, Sitting And Watching, Love Has Found its Way and Inseparable.
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