When Category Three Hurricane Gilbert pounded Jamaica in September 1988, IRIE AC was among several hundreds of thousands who were impacted.

“The biggest hurricane that I’ve been through was Gilbert when I was in Jamaica. It was so devastating and even though I was much younger then, I cannot forget the damages, the flooding and the roofs that took off like a plane,” IRIE AC told Observer Online earlier this week.

Now residing in the United States, IRIE AC is sympathetic to those who were impacted by the recent passing of Hurricane Melissa.

“Lots of my family members and friends were affected by Hurricane Melissa. And if you are Jamaican, you always gonna know somebody who has been affected. We are very resilient and can make the best of the worst of situation and as long as there is life, we can rebuild.

“From my personal involvement, I have been bringing awareness, globally through my various platforms and will continue to do so. My prayers are with each and every one that was affected by this hurricane. I am open and willing to perform at any benefit concert that will assist in the recovery of my beloved country,” said IRIE AC.

IRIE AC is currently promoting two new singles — This Time, which was originally recorded by John Legend; and Second Chance, a cover of the 1980 Billboard Hot 100 chart #6 hit by American rock band 38 Special. Both songs were produced by King Mars Production and released on the IRIE AC Management imprint.

IRIE AC says he is determined to make his mark on the international music scene with his unique brand of music, which he describes as a fusion of reggae, pop and R&B.

Although he harboured ambitions of becoming a professional recording artiste early in life, IRIE AC had to put those dreams on hold when he joined the US Marines in 1992.

“Like most Jamaican artistes I began singing in church when I was about six years old. My siblings and I were living with our mother in Lluidas Vale, St Catherine, during those early years. We moved to live in the Cross Roads area of Kingston by the time I was a teenager. This gave me the chance to hone my skills by performing on sound systems. At the time, I was thinking about pursuing a music career, but my father had filed for me and my siblings. So, we all moved to Florida in 1992, and I joined the Marines for 20 years,” he shared.

Despite joining the Marines, IRIE AC, whose given name is Andrew Comrie, never gave up on his dreams of becoming a professional recording artiste.

“I did a 20-year stint in the Marines and served in some of the most dangerous places in the world, but I never gave up my music. I was writing songs and rehearsing in my spare time. I also performed at a lot of military events and at local clubs in places where I was stationed. I actually recorded my first dubplate for a sound system while I was stationed in Japan in 1994,” he said.

He finally launched his recording career in 2016 after serving in the US Marines. He retired at the rank of master sergeant.

“After a long and successful career in the Marines, I finally decided to pursue my musical dreams, and I have kept going ever since. So far, I have recorded and released five albums and several singles. The best is yet to come, and I know it won’t be long before I become a household name on the international music scene.”