Says ‘The Maytals Band’ name in dispute
Frederick Nathaniel ‘Toots’ Hibbert, late frontman of Toots and the Maytals.—
The family of late reggae icon Toots Hibbert says they have nothing to do with the cancellation of what is being referred to as “a purported tribute concert” scheduled to take place in London at the Round House on September 4.
“It has been reported in the media that the purported tribute show, which would have featured Hibbert’s former backing band along with several international music stars, was cancelled because of a cease-and-desist order from his estate. However, his daughter Leba Hibbert, vice-president of the Toots Hibbert Foundation, says this is not true, this was as a result of bad decisions on the part of the promoters and the band members,” a release said.
According to the release, anyone claiming to organize tribute shows in aid of the ‘Toots Foundation’ without the knowledge or written permission of the president, Doreen Hibbert, Toots’ widow, or herself, is misleading the public.
“Neither my mother nor myself has had any dialogue with the promoters of this tribute event, and we’re not pleased that we are being used as scapegoats now that the event is cancelled. We will not take this lying down,” said Hibbert. “Don’t blame us, blame yourselves.”
Hibbert stated that the cease-and-desist letters sent to the members of Toots’ former backing band and some promoters in the UK on July 15, were issued because they were using the ‘Toots and The Maytals’ trademark, and the ‘Toots Hibbert’ trademark and images of her late father, Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert to promote an event that they claimed was in aid of the ‘Toots Foundation.’
“They were also using the name ‘The Maytals Band’, which is currently in dispute. The cease-and-desist order was sent to the band because they attempted to use the Toots and the Maytals name without my family’s permission. This is something that we feel very strongly about. The name Toots & The Maytals belonged to my father, and now that he’s no longer here physically, it belongs to his estate and we will not let anyone trample on his legacy or exploit his name or his works for their personal gain. Don’t blame us for your bad decisions,” said Hibbert.
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