Burial of legendary reggae singer Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert stalls

 Toots Hibbert [Photo: Courtesy]

The Thursday, October 15 burial of legendary reggae singer Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert stalled and had to be abandoned. This is after the family of the 77-year old singer who died on September 11, 2020, at the University Hospital of the West Indies, failed to produce an order authorizing internment.

According to Loop Jamaica, the Toots and the Maytals star was expected to be laid to rest at Dovecot Memorial Gardens, St Catherine Parish, Jamaica after a private service at Perry’s Funeral Home chapel.

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Drama, however, ensued soon after the Bam Bam hitmaker’s body made the journey to the gardens after it was discovered that there was no burial permit from the Registrar General's Department - forcing the funeral director to return the hearse to the morgue in Spanish Town, southeast-central Jamaica.

A twist in the singer’s last journey as he bowed out of stage for the final tune that was celebrated by his daughter and gospel singer, Jenieve Bailey, who in September declared her opposition to the decision to inter her father at Dovecot.

Bailey, instead, expressed that the Grammy award-winning singer who belted out internationally acclaimed ska, rocksteady, and reggae hits in a 60-year career be laid to rest at his birthplace beside other departed family members in May Pen Clarendon, Middlesex County.

"This morning, I chose not to attend my father's funeral service today, I couldn't go to a funeral that would not honour my father or the people who gave him a career. I couldn't put my signature to that, I chose to pray for God to intervene so that the people who gave him iconic status could mourn him and send him off," said Bailey.

According to Bailey, Toot's funeral ought not to be private and should accord his beloved country an opportunity to pay one last homage to one of its most-loved singers. "All when we as Jamaicans don't have it, we try to give our loved ones the best, and that private funeral was a travesty. Look what God did, He came in, that is God. I didn't agree to any private funeral, it was great disrespect to my father and who he was and the people who supported him. I stayed away and stayed on my knees and I had some prayer warriors praying with me and He answered our prayer," she said.

She added: "I am rejoicing, I know he deserved more. I am working with Minister Grange to ensure a big send-off for him where his friends in the industry and his fans can celebrate him. By tomorrow, we shall have a date for the people to celebrate Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert the way he ought to be celebrated. I am elated that God stepped in for us, Toots was a people person, he was for the people."

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Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert funeral resumed on Friday, October 16.