Since his death on December 11, Reggae Sumfest co-founder Robert Russell has been hailed as the consummate businessman who was willing to go the extra mile. Tina Davis, the festival’s former operations manager, says he was “larger than life.”
Davis joined the Reggae Sumfest team in 1997, four years after Russell and seven other colleagues from Montego Bay launched the festival in that resort city.
“I met Robert Russell in 1995, while working as a young banker in Montego Bay. I joined the Sumfest team two years later and he welcomed me with open arms. He was a man who commanded any room he was in, a fearless businessman who never backed down from any challenge,” said Davis.
The 76 year-old Russell, who was ill for some time, died at a Montego Bay hospital.
For over 30 years, he was proprietor of the Pier One restaurant, located in the heart of the city. It was a popular hangout for celebrities who appeared on Sumfest, including Usher. Russell was also involved in the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival which attracted some of the biggest acts in pop music.
Although synonymous with Montego Bay, Russell was actually born in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. He was involved in the advertising and film industries throughout the 1970s, and also operated restaurants.
His strong ties to the corporate sector made him a perfect addition to the budding Reggae Sumfest which replaced Reggae Sunsplash as Montego Bay’s leading musical showpiece.
“Robert was a sharp negotiator and had an uncanny ability to get anyone to come around to his way of thinking. He used his carefully crafted relationships with business titans, bureaucrats and people from all walks of life to push the Sumfest brand far and wide. Robert was one of a kind,” said Davis.
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