Letter of the Day | Make May Pen the final resting place of Toots Hibbert

THE EDITOR, Madam:

This is in reference to the sad passing of Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert of Toots and The Maytals. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

I think, by now, most Jamaicans at home and abroad know that Toots was originally from May Pen, Clarendon. I am from May Pen, too, and I grew up knowing him personally even though we were not really close friends.

I am a former musician (drummer) and had the pleasure of playing with him a few times around Jamaica before I migrated to Canada.

I have spoken to a lot of my parishioners here in Toronto (where I now reside) and we all think the member of parliament for the May Pen area, the May Pen Chamber of Commerce, the Government and, very important, Toots Hibbert’s family should get together to either make May Pen his final resting place, or if that cannot be done, then they should have a lifelike statue of him erected in a park in May Pen.

Bob Marley’s remains were buried in a mausoleum in Nine Miles, St Ann, where he was from. Peter Tosh’s remains were buried in Bluefields, Westmoreland, where he was from, so I think May Pen should be given the same honour to be Toots’ final resting place.

I remember back in the day when Toots became popular and excelled in music in Jamaica, all the people from May Pen were very proud of him. I am requesting that like-minded people should come together and set the ball rolling in that direction.

SYDNEY BROWN