by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – Hundreds of fans danced, drank and made merry at the Sport of Kings Theatre, Gulfstream Park, on February 21 as colleagues and family helped singer/guitarist Pluto Shervington celebrate his 50th anniversary in the music business.
Not even the chilly climes and rainy weather could put a damper on the show which had Boris Gardiner, Carlene Davis, Ernie Smith, Inner Circle and Third World sharing the bill with the guest of honor.
Shervington, who started his career as a 19 year-old singer/guitarist with Tomorrow’s Children Band in Kingston, Jamaica, closed the show. He thanked the audience for their support and did not disappoint them, as he performed rib-tickling songs like Dat, Your Honour and Ram Goat Liver.
Those hits, recorded at Federal Records in Kingston 45 years ago, earned Shervington a following in Jamaica during the 1970s. They remain a part of his live show in South Florida where he has lived since 1977.
“It’s wonderful, all di old boy dem come together an’ I feel great. Such a beautiful thing. One love,” he said.
Smith, Shervington’s contemporary at Federal Records, hailed his close friend’s endurance.
“I know Pluto since his days with Tomorrow’s Children an’ he’s stuck with the music all these years. There is so much magic here tonight. Really nice,” said Smith.
No Pluto Shervington show would be complete without I Man Born Yah, the 1976 song some say was a jab at the socialist policies of Jamaican prime minister Michael Manley. He sang it with gusto, accompanied by a raucous audience of 1,200.
