Farewell Joe Gibbs
Legendary Jamaican record producer and businessman Joel `Joe Gibbs` Gibson was laid to rest on March 5, 2008 at the Dovecot Memorial Park, after a well attended funeral service held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, North Street, Kingston. His Worship The Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie along with Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Dr. Omar Davies headed hundreds of family members, friends and representitives from the music fraternity who turned out to pay their last respect to the great man.
Born in Salt Spring, Montego Bay on October 14, 1942 Joe Gibbs fell ill and was taken to the University Hospital of the West Indies where he died on February 21, 2008. At age 14 Joe Gibbs was fending for himself after his parents died. He sold food items in the Montego Bay Market where he earned the nickname, `Market Rat`. By his late teenage years he started learning radio technology and repair and became so versed at it, he became part of a national team charged with the responsibility of standardizing Jamaica's electrical cycle system which at the operated on more than one cycles. After coming into Kingston on regularly job assignment he eventually decided to settle in the capital city for a short time before heading off to Cuba to work on the United States Military Base at Gauntanamo Bay. He returned to Jamaica during the middle of the 1960s and set up a radio repair and electronics shop on Beeston Street, in the heart of the music scene in downtown Kingston. Joe Gibbs initially attempted singing but could not make the grade and was eventually encouraged to get into producing. One of his first artistes was Roy Shirley who recorded the hit, `Hold Them`, in 1966, and thus launching Joe Gibbs, the producer and the creation of the `Amalgamated Label`
Forging an association with Lee `Scratch` Perry, the combination went about producing songs with the likes of Peter Tosh, Errol Dunkley, The Pioneers, The Royals, Nicky Thomas and The Heptones. After a fall out with Perry the high-riding Joe Gibbs went about setting up his own recording studio at 24 Ritirement Crescent, Kingston in 1972. He teamed up with Errol Thompson, who at the time was the top engineer at Randy's Recording Studio. The association became known as the `Mighty Two`, and mighty they were. The 1970s saw the combination turning out some of greatest music from the era. Dennis Brown, Trinity, Prince Mohammed/George Nooks, Dillinger and J.C. Lodge along with others, all came to the fore during this period.
Joe Gibbs followed the trend at the time and left Jamaica and settled in the United States for 15 years after which he returned to Jamaica and expanded his businesses to include a supermarket, restaurants and farming. Not much recordings went on at the studio during the last few years, however Joe Gibbs, in partnership with VP Records is currently releasing material from the large Joe Gibb's catalogue.
Others in attendance included Bunny Lee, Don Lee, Derrick Morgan and wife Nelly, King Jammys, Alvin `Gee Gee` Ranglin, Chris Chin/VP Records, Winston `Merritone` Blake, Bongo Herman, Earl `Heptones` Morgan, Carey Johnson, Frankie Campbell/JAVAA, Desmond Young/Jamaica Federation of Musicians, Colin Leslie and Julian `Jingles ` Reynolds/Sounds and Pressure, Zac Henry/The Astronauts, Junior `Trinity` Bramwell, Tappa Zukie, Harry J, Neville Rennalls, Niney The Observer, Pete Weston, Georgia Henry and Dr. Carolyn Cooper. Father Kenneth Richards officiated while the organist was Michael Hunter. Joe Gibbs is survived by 11 children
