KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of reggae’s great songwriters, Bob Andy left a cache of classic songs when he died in March 2020 at age 75. On October 28, his son, Godfrey “Bobby” Anderson, will revisit that legacy with a show here.
Dubbed ‘Celebrating The Life’s Work of A Lyrical Genius’, it takes place at Rub A Dub Tuesdayz which hosts a popular weekly live concert.
“The significance of this event is to assemble friends, family and fans of not just the artist, Bob Andy, but the man, Keith Ainsley Anderson (his real name). Fans can expect to be taken on a musical journey into his career as it relates to his life,” said Anderson.
Andy made his name as a singer-songwriter during the 1960s rock steady era, recording for producer Clement Dodd at Studio One in Kingston. He had several hit songs including Too Experienced, Unchained and I’ve Got to Go Back Home.
He also wrote what became classic songs for a young Marcia Griffiths, such as Feel Like Jumping, Mark my Word and Really Together, on which they dueted.
There is another reason for staging ‘Celebrating The Life’s Work of A Lyrical Genius’.
“For this generation, whenever they hear songs like Too Experienced, which has been deemed a classic by reggae lovers and music connoisseurs alike, they automatically think of Barrington Levy. This celebration is partly to ‘edutain’ them,” said Anderson.
Levy’s cover of Too Experienced in 1990 was a big hit. The following year he put his spin on My Time, another Andy original.
Bob Andy, who lived in South Florida for many years, found a new generation of fans during the 1990s when there was a rock steady revival in Jamaica. He performed on a number of oldies shows alongside his contemporaries including John Holt, Ken Boothe and Leroy Sibbles.
