Going to dances as a boy in East Kingston, Ian Sweetness admired singers like Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs. The mellow sounds of Ernie Smith also caught the aspiring artiste’s attention.

Ian Sweetness shows his appreciation for Smith by covering All For Jesus, a song the singer-songwriter released through Federal Records in 1974. His version is from the pending Ernie Smith tribute album produced by Ed Robinson.

Smith died in April in South Florida at age 80.

“I like a few of his (Smith’s) songs, but this one I’m really interested in. Ernie Smith was a really great songwriter,” said Ian Sweetness.

He recorded a demo of All For Jesus which impressed Robinson, who told him about the Ernie Smith project he was doing for Global Digital Records.

“They requested they would build the track for the song, and that was it,” the singer recalled.

All For Jesus heard Smith at his songwriting peak. He had another big hit that year with Duppy Gunman, and wrote the Festival Song Competition winner Play de Music for Tinga Stewart.

Smith was managed in recent years by Joanna Marie, Robinson’s wife. They recruited his son Ojay and several artistes to cover some of his songs for A Tribute To Ernie Smith.

Ojay Smith does Life Is Just For Living, while Mr Vegas recorded Duppy Gunman. There are also contributions from Papa Michigan (Bend Down) and Sahara Smith (Don’t Down Me Now).

– Howard Campbell