Remembering Kendall Minter, the African-American Attorney Advising Dancehall-Reggae Artists
by Howard Campbell
ATLANTA – Kendall Minter, the affable African-American attorney who advised many Jamaican dancehall-reggae artists, died December 6 in Atlanta. He is remembered by colleagues as versed in the area of entertainment law.
Minter, who was 71, represented Jamaican acts such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Denroy Morgan, Third World, Shabba Ranks, Patra, Mad Cobra and Morgan Heritage.
His services were sought most during the 1990s by the Specs Shang management company, which was headed by Clifton “Specialist” Dillon and Olivia “Babsy” Grange. They managed two-time Grammy winner Shabba Ranks, Patra and Mad Cobra.
Tributes
Luther “Luther Mack” McKenzie was also part of that team which had offices in South Florida. He had several interactions with Minter.
“I remember him as a calm-spirited individual who listened carefully and advised accordingly. He was always very approachable and pleasant,” said McKenzie.
Grange, who is now Jamaica’s minister of culture, gender, entertainment, and sport, also paid tribute to Minter, who was in Jamaica last February for the Business of Music seminar.
“Kendall skilfully negotiated contracts on behalf of many of our world-renowned reggae artists, including Shabba Ranks and others in the Spec Shang group. Other Jamaican reggae artists who benefited from his highly respected skills as an attorney include Delroy Morgan and Morgan Heritage. Showing exceptional expertise, he dealt with complex legal issues with ease. He was a kind and helpful individual who inspired many. His guidance was invaluable. The law firm Minter and Associates became famous under his leadership,” she said in a statement.
The New York-born Minter earned a degree in political science from Cornell University in 1974. Two years later, he received a law degree from Cornell Law School.
He became a respected figure in entertainment and sports law, representing acts such as jazz legend Lena Horne, South African singer Miriam Makeba, Boyz II Men, The Backstreet Boys, and boxing champions Evander Holyfield and Ray Mercer.
Minter was co-founder of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA) and former chairman of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation.
Kendall Minter is survived by his wife Pamela, daughters Kamali, Namik, and Amani; brothers Karl and Kevin; grandchildren Gaia, Nova and Sierra.
