Norris Man Suggests Illness Prevented Anthony B From Performing At Reggae Sumfest 2024
Reggae singer Norrisman has implied that his compatriot Anthony B might be ill, thus his absence from Reggae Sumfest 2024, where he was scheduled to perform on Concert Night Two.
During his performance at Reggae Sumfest in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the Home and Away singer told the audience at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay that he was performing with mixed emotions as everything was not OK with Anthony B.
“There is a lot of mixed emotions going on with me right now. One of my favourite artists, my good friend; my bredrin, everyting to me. He could not make it tonight on Reggae Sumfest. Keith Blair, Anthony B bless up yoself. Whatever going on with you my brother, speedy recovery. Jah know, mi feel it to mi heart,” he said just before he introduced his mega hit song Persistence.
On Saturday, several hours before Anthony B was to grace the Reggae Sumfest Concert Night 2 stage, his management team issued a release stating that the 48-year-old would “not be performing on Night 2 of the Reggae Sumfest Festival as was previously promoted.”
“It is with deep regret that we announce Anthony B will not be performing tonight as advertised due to unforeseen circumstances. We want to clarify that this is not the fault of the promoter or the artiste… “We look forward to seeing you next year for the greatest reggae show in the World – Sumfest 2025,” the statement read.
Anthony B, widely known for his controversial mega-hit Fire Pon Rome, which propelled him into the national spotlight, has released more than 33 albums over the years, as well as more than 1000 singles. He has also appeared on a slew of compilation albums during his almost three-decade-old career.
The Raid The Barn artist’s musical odyssey started as a boy in his hometown Clarks Town in Trelawny, deeply influenced by Revivalism and the Seventh Day Adventist churches. During his early years, he was also drawn to the music of Reggae legend Peter Tosh and American singer Otis Redding.
Anthony B migrated from Trelawny to Kingston in 1992, rejected the prevalent trend of lyrics about women and violence, and instead remained true to themes of spiritual awareness and social conviction.
After becoming a part of the Star Trail Crew, Anthony B went on a hit-making run, churning out tracks such as Repentance Time, Fire Pon Rome, One Thing, A De Man, Rumour and Raid The Barn.
He followed up then with albums such as Real Revolutionary, Universal Struggle, 7 Seals, Black Star and Untouchable.
In 2002, he established his own label, Born Fire Records, under which he independently produced three albums: Street Knowledge, That’s Life, and Life Over Death. He also collaborated on two albums: Too Strong with Sizzla and Three Wise Men with Sizzla and Luciano.
In the meantime, Reggae Sumfest promoters Downsound Records issued a statement hours earlier explaining the non-appearance of Jada Kingdom, Valiant, Marcy Chin, and Kraff.
According to Downsound, in a statement on Saturday “unforeseen issues” prevented Jada Kingdom, Valiant and Marcy Chin from performing whilst Kraff had an “unavoidable emergency”.
“We understand that many of you travelled from various parishes and countries to see the full lineup, and we apologise for any inconvenience to our patrons and sponsors this may have caused. We ensured all commitments were met to guarantee the festival’s overall success,” Downsound said.
“The festival remains committed to our core values and the trust you place in us. We are dedicated to working diligently to uphold the exceptional entertainment experience that our global audience expects and deserves… Our goal is to continue being the greatest reggae show on earth, a beacon of excellence that shines brightly in the world of music festivals,” the release added.