By BASIL WALTERS
Observer staff reporter
Friday, March 30, 2001



Reggae stalwart, "Toots" Hibbert, says he is putting together a team of lawyers to take legal action against music industry mogul, Chris Blackwell.

The veteran entertainer claims that Blackwell owes him millions of dollars in royalties.

"Over the years I haven't gotten any money from Chris Blackwell like mechanical rights and (publishing) royalties," the founder of the legendary Maytals told Splash.

"I'm presently talking to two lawyers to take action against him."

Hibbert was once signed to Blackwell's Island Records and has often been credited with coining the word reggae (the word was in his 1969 hit Do the Reggae).

"I should be even collecting royalties for the word reggae," lamented the prolific hitmaker.

Toots and the Maytals (Nathaniel "Jerry" Mathias and the late Henry "Raleigh" Gordon) came together during the ska craze of the early 1960s when they began their recording careers at the famed Studio One.

They left the Brentford Road-based organisation of producer Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd after a series of massive hits to join forces with ex-Coxsone employee, Prince Buster.

The future continued to look bright for the group in the late 1960s, but a prison sentence for Hibbert (for marijuana possession) stalled their progress. Toots' imprisonment is immortalised in the huge hit, 54-46 for producer Leslie Kong's Beverley's label.

"Chris once told me that when he was down, it was 54-46 that put him back on his feet, and I thought the man would have done great things for me," said Hibbert. "That's another reason why I'm going to sue him."

Hibbert told Splash that for several years, he received a "measly" sum of US$1,000 monthly from Blackwell, but doesn't know if the payments were for royalties or mechanical rights because they had no statements.

He added that it has been more than two years since he has gotten any payments from Blackwell who is responsible for the entire Maytals catalogue.

"I'm not willing to do it, but that's the only chance of getting my money," said Hibbert. "I've been suffering for too long and he doesn't pay me any mind."

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au:walters dt:03/30/2001 sc:jo