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CLINTON LINDSAY » BREAKING NEWS, GUEST RUNDOWNS » THE STARTIME CONCERT SERIES ON JULY 2, IS LIKE A HOMECOMING FOR FREDDIE McGREGOR!

THE STARTIME CONCERT SERIES ON JULY 2, IS LIKE A HOMECOMING FOR FREDDIE McGREGOR!

 Freddie McGregor—

Startime, the popular ‘vintage music’ show, makes it debut at The Verandah in Clarendon Park, on July 2. It is presented by Juici Patties. Today, associate sponsors Jamaica Observer publishes the first in a series of articles on the event.

Freddie McGregor was a toddler when he left Clarendon for Kingston to become a member of producer Clement Dodd’s emerging Studio One camp.

 He returns to his parish as part of Startime’s ‘The Clarendon Connection,’ which also includes ska legend Derrick Morgan and The Clarendonians, comprising his close friends Peter Austin and Ernest Wilson.

“Clarendon is my birth parish, so it’s about going home to entertain my people and for me that’s a big deal,” said McGregor.

The 60-year-old singer started his career at Studio One during the 1960’s. He witnessed key recording sessions that yielded numerous classic songs.

The Clarendoians

The Clarendoians

Some of them he would cover for his Sing Jamaican Classics albums in the late 1990’s. In 2013, he put his spin on a song from the ska era that holds special memories.

“ You Won’t See Me, because it was most popular when I was a little youth, so I grew up loving that song. I didn’t even realise it was a Beatles song until later on in life,” he said.

The Clarendonians’ version of You Won’t See Me was a big hit for Studio One in 1966. It was also popular among the growing West Indian community in the United Kingdom.

Five weeks @ No.1

Six weeks @ No.1

McGregor is scheduled to perform on several European festivals this summer. His latest album, True To My Roots, was released recently.

Marcia Griffiths, Leroy Sibbles, Frankie Paul, Errol Dunkley, Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, The Mighty Diamonds and DJ Dillinger are the other artists enlisted for Startime.

They will be backed by Lloyd Parks and We The People Band.

— By Howard Campbell

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