WHENEVER Leroy Sibbles hits the stage for a performance, he wants it to be educational as well as entertaining. The veteran rocksteady singer/bassist makes his story part of the show.

It is going to be no different when he headlines Stars R Us on November 26 at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston.

“It is very important that Jamaicans know the history of their music, and since I have been in the business for over 50 years and was instrumental in creating some of the classic reggae basslines that are still being recorded over today, I can share that history with my fans and educate them on that history. It is always necessary for me to share and educate,” said Sibbles.

The Trench Town-raised Sibbles made his name in the 1960s as a member of The Heptones alongside Earl Morgan and Barry Llewellyn. That classic line-up thrived at Studio One with a slate of hit songs such as Fattie Fattie, Why Did You Leave, Sweet Talking, Party Time, and I Shall be Released.

During his time at Studio One, Sibbles was prolific on bass. He played on numerous hit songs including Sata Masa Gana by The Abyssinians, No Man is an Island by Dennis Brown, Queen of The Minstrel by Cornel Campbell, and Skylarking by Horace Andy.

Sibbles returned to Jamaica permanently in the mid-1990s after living in Canada for over 20 years, helping to develop that country’s reggae scene. He has made it a duty to bring the dancehall generation up to speed on his legacy.

“It is important to reach younger audiences as they represent the future and they should also understand the history,” said Sibbles, who was part of the 1990s rocksteady revival.

Stars R Us is the first major ‘vintage’ show in Jamaica for 2022. It also features Derrick Morgan, Ken Boothe, Johnny Clarke, Big Youth and Wesrok.