by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – For someone who has promoted reggae shows in South Florida for over 20 years, Andrew Minott finds being in the spotlight difficult. But that will have to change in coming weeks as he pitches his autobiography.
Prove ‘Em Wrong is the title of that book which is scheduled for release by Amazon on February 1, the start of Reggae Month. It was written in collaboration with Kevin E. Taylor.
It covers the highs of Minott’s life including growing up in Jamaica, serving in the United States military and raising his children as a single parent.
There are also the lows which includes a period of incarceration. Minott, 55, said it was important he kept things real.
“It was really tough writing about the negatives, it took me a while to get even comfortable talking about it. A lot of the things I’m not proud of, some of the things I did were stupid but if you’re talking about your real life, your experiences, it’s not easy,” he explained.
Interestingly, Prove ‘Em Wrong was initially intended to be a biography about Minott’s cousin — the legendary singer Sugar Minott, who died in May, 2010.
After his death, Minott was encouraged to tell his own story by respected African-American impresario Angelo Ellerbee. After some reluctance, he took his advice and with Taylor, began work on the 140-page book in August, 2021.
They completed the project last November.
Andrew Minott was born and raised in Montego Bay. He migrated to the United States at age 18, first settling in New Jersey from where he joined the US Navy.
He is synonymous with the live reggae scene in South Florida. Promoting shows like Caribbean Reggae Fest and Reggae Bash which showcased some of the genre’s biggest artists.
He has also managed reggae tours to Africa and Europe.
Minott says while he covered a considerable amount of ground in Prove ‘Em Wrong, he left enough room for a potential sequel.
“I didn’t spend crazy amount of time on anything, I didn’t want to make it too long and drawn out. I just wanted to touch on different aspects of my life,” he said.
