At the Reggae Gold Awards in Kingston three months ago, Copeland Forbes took the opportunity to converse with Edward Seaga, the former Jamaican prime minister, who died Tuesday in Miami at age 89.

Forbes, the veteran booking agent and tour manager, told him that their paths had crossed many times in the past 57 years. The first was in 1962 at the National Stadium when Britain’s Princess Margaret attended Jamaica’s Independence ceremony. Seaga was part of the new government; Forbes, a scout, opened the door for Princess Margaret as she left her car.

They were also at the One Love Peace Concert in April 1978 at the same venue. Forbes, who was manager for Peter Tosh, looked on from the wings as Bob Marley brought Prime Minister Michael Manley and Seaga, opposition leader, onstage for a symbolic gesture of peace.

Forbes said Seaga perked up when he told him of those and other events they had attended.

“Him sey, ‘so, are you writing a book?’” Forbes recalled.

Both men received awards at the Reggae Gold Awards which was organised by the Jamaican government, in celebration of reggae’s 50th anniversary. Seaga was among 20 persons inducted into the Hall of Fame, which Forbes said he deserves.

“He contributed to the development and evolution of reggae, there’s no doubt about that. No matter what differences people had with him, Mr Seaga helped a lot of people, especially from West Kingston,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Forbes grew up in Jones Town and Trench Town during the 1950s when Seaga, a Boston-born Jamaican of Lebanese heritage, was doing anthropological research in nearby West Kingston. When Seaga became Member of Parliament for that constituency in 1962, Forbes participated in cultural activities there.

“We used to go Chocomo Lawn; he (Seaga) started that. A whole heap of us who went to Chetolah Park Primary, like the guys in The Techniques, used to go there all the time,” said Forbes. “Mr Seaga was heavy in the culture; it was nice to see what we called a brown skin man encouraging what uptown people use to call lower-class people.”

Some of the aspiring entertainers who performed at Chocomo Lawn went on to stellar careers. They included singers Keith (Slim) Smith of The Techniques and The Uniques, Stranger Cole, Ken Boothe and Marcia Griffiths. Boothe and Griffiths were also honoured at the Reggae Gold Awards.

Forbes, who has worked with countless acts including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown and Jimmy Cliff, said Seaga’s commitment to Jamaican popular music was summed up in a speech he gave in 2002 at Oceana Hotel in Kingston, to mark Jamaica’s 40th year of independence.

“He told the artistes and musicians not to depend on Government for anything, because they have been doing great things for themselves all these years. He was so right, and that speech really stay with mi,” said Forbes.