Toots Hibbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Toots Hibbert
OJ
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Hibbert performing in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick Hibbert |
| Born | 8 December 1942 May Pen, Colony of Jamaica |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died | 11 September 2020 (aged 77) Kingston, Jamaica |
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| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, Hammond organ |
| Years active | 1961–2020 |
| Associated acts | Toots and the Maytals |
Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, also known as Toots Hibbert, was a famous singer and songwriter from Jamaica. He was born on December 8, 1942, and passed away on September 11, 2020. Toots was the main singer for the reggae and ska band called Toots and the Maytals.
He was a pioneer in reggae music, meaning he was one of the first and most important people in its history. Toots performed for sixty years and helped create the basic sound of reggae. His song "Do the Reggay" from 1968 is often said to be where the name reggae came from. His band's album True Love even won a Grammy Award in 2005!
Contents
Early Life
Toots Hibbert was born in May Pen, Jamaica. He was the youngest child in his family. His parents were strict preachers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Because of this, Toots grew up singing gospel music in his church choir.
Sadly, both of his parents died when he was young. By the age of 11, Toots was an orphan. He then moved to live with his brother John in the Trenchtown area of Kingston. While working at a local barbershop, he met Raleigh Gordon and Jerry Matthias. These two would later become his bandmates.
Career
Starting Out in the 1960s
Toots Hibbert was a talented musician who could play many instruments. He formed the band Toots and the Maytals in 1961. He could play every instrument used in his band. He said that famous singers like Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown greatly inspired his music.
Toots explained that the name Maytals comes from a Rastafari term meaning "do the right thing." Some people also believe the name came from his hometown of May Pen. The band first started as a trio with Raleigh Gordon and Jerry Matthias. Later, Jackie Jackson and Paul Douglas joined them.
Many of Toots's early songs, like "Hallelujah" (1963), showed his Christian background. He also wrote about Rastafarian religious ideas. The Maytals quickly became one of the most popular singing groups in Jamaica in the mid-1960s. They recorded songs with famous music producers like Coxsone Dodd and Leslie Kong.
They were very successful, winning Jamaica's National Popular Song Contest three times! They won in 1966 with "Bam Bam," in 1969 with "Sweet and Dandy," and in 1972 with "Pomps & Pride." Toots was also one of the first artists to use the word "reggae" in a song. He did this in his 1968 hit, "Do the Reggay."
Success in the 1970s
The first Toots and the Maytals album released by Chris Blackwell's Island Records was Funky Kingston. A music critic named Lester Bangs called the album "perfection." He said it was the most exciting and varied reggae album by one artist at that time. Chris Blackwell, who founded Island Records, really believed in Toots and the Maytals. He said, "Toots is one of the purest human beings I've met in my life."
In 1970, the band's song "Monkey Man" became popular overseas. It reached number 47 on the music charts in Britain. Toots also appeared in the important Jamaican film The Harder They Come. In the movie, his band sings "Sweet and Dandy." The film's soundtrack also included the Maytals' 1969 hit song "Pressure Drop."
On October 1, 1975, Toots and the Maytals performed live at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. This performance was later released as an album called Sailin' On.
Later Years: 1980s and 1990s
The band's concert in 1980 at Hammersmith Palais in London was recorded and released as an album called Live. This album came out less than 24 hours after the concert! This amazing feat earned them a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The band released Knock Out! in 1981. After this, the original Maytals trio broke up. Toots Hibbert then toured as a solo artist for a while. In 1988, he released Toots in Memphis, which earned him his first Grammy nomination. In the mid-1990s, Toots started his band again, but without Gordon and Mathias.
The 2000s
In 2004, Toots Hibbert was featured on Willie Nelson's album Outlaws and Angels. Toots continued to tour all over the world. His band's album True Love won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2005. Willie Nelson later released a reggae album called Countryman (2005), which featured Toots on the song "I'm a Worried Man." Toots also appeared in the music video for the song, which was filmed in Jamaica.
In 2006, Toots and the Maytals covered Radiohead's song "Let Down." This was for the Easy Star All-Stars album Radiodread, which was a reggae version of the English rock band's album OK Computer. Toots also worked with other artists, like Gov't Mule and Larry McDonald.
The 2010s
In 2011, Toots Hibbert was featured in a documentary called Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals. This film was shown on BBC. It was described as "The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica." Many famous musicians appeared in the film, including Jimmy Cliff, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards.
On December 31, 2011, Toots joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" at a New Year's Eve party. The party was held in St. Barts by a Russian billionaire. Many famous guests, like George Lucas and Martha Stewart, were there.
In May 2013, Toots Hibbert got a head injury during a performance in Richmond, Virginia. This caused him to cancel several months of his live shows. After a three-year break, Toots and the Maytals returned to the stage in 2016 and started touring again.
Toots's vocals also appeared in the 2016 song "My Number" by Major Lazer and Bad Royale. This song used a sample from his band's earlier hit, "54-46 That's My Number." On July 25, 2018, Toots and the Maytals performed on the U.S. television show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. They played a new song called "Marley" and their classic hit "Funky Kingston."
Many other music artists have said that Toots and the Maytals inspired them because of their long careers. Jamaican artist Sean Paul said, "I've seen some great people in my industry, you know, people like Toots…Toots and the Maytals. Toots, he's a great reggae artist and he's still doing it…He's up there in years and he's doing it. Those kind of artists inspire me."
Personal Life
Toots Hibbert married Doreen when he was a teenager. They had seven children together. He wrote two songs, "It's You" and "Never You Change," for Doreen when she was 18 years old. His son, Clayton, also became a musician and performs under the name 'Junior Toots'.
Death
In August 2020, news came out that Toots Hibbert was in the hospital and seriously ill. On September 12, 2020, a statement on the band's Facebook page announced that he had passed away at the age of 77. The Gleaner and Rolling Stone confirmed the news. They reported that Toots had died at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston. It was later confirmed that COVID-19 was the cause of his death during the pandemic in Jamaica.
Honors
In 2010, Toots Hibbert was ranked No. 71 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time." In August 2012, it was announced that he would receive the Order of Jamaica. This is the fifth highest honor a person can receive in Jamaica.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Toots Hibbert para niños
- Peter Tosh
- Bunny Wailer
