The Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk concludes its series during Child Month highlighting some of Jamaica’s young performers who shot to stardom.

DURING the 1980s Sugar Minott was one of the hottest commodities in Jamaican music but despite the rigours of being an in-demand artiste, he still made time for emerging acts.

“What daddy told me is that he knew what he went through trying to get his foot in the music business. Sometimes he was locked out of the studios, so he wanted to make it a little easier for these young youths coming up because he knew the hardships that he went through. He decided to create a much easier avenue for them,” Pashon Minott, daughter of the late singer, told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

That “avenue” was his sound system Youthman Promotion and his record label of the same name. With them, Sugar Minott gave a ‘voice’ to many dancehall/reggae artistes from tough backgrounds.

“You have Triston Palmer, Little John, Tenor Saw, Yami Bolo, White Mice, Garnett Silk, even Barrington Levy in his early career; Michael Prophet, Junior Reid, Musical Youth — Daddy brought in from England,” said Pashon, who is also an artiste.

“Anything to do with the youth, anything to enhance the youth, that is him — giving, giving, and always helping. Daddy was a humanitarian — not just a singer. He was for the people,” she continued.

Yami Bolo and White Mice were child stars. Sugar Minott produced Yami Bolo’s first songs including the original version of True Love (made popular by White Mice).

Sugar Minott started his career as a member of The African Brothers, a trio that included Tony Tuff. His solo career was launched at Studio One in the late 1970s.

He scored big in the United Kingdom in 1981 with a cover of Michael Jackson’s Good Thing Going. He was a fixture on Jamaican charts with Vanity, Mr DC, Herbman Hustling, Lovers Race, No Vacancy, and Tune In.

Sugar Minott is credited with introducing Jamaica’s sound system culture to Japan.

In a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer, sound system selector Ricky Trooper said Jamaica’s Government should recognise the contributions of Sugar Minott by conferring him with a national honour.

“Sugar Minott is rated as the godfather of dancehall because he is the one who gave the most artistes in Jamaica a chance to become stars — example Tenor Saw, Yami Bolo, Tristan Palmer, Little John, Colorman, Tony Rebel, Garnett Silk — and the list goes on,” Ricky Trooper noted.

Sugar Minott, given name Lincoln Minott, died in July 2010 from a heart-related illness. He was 54.

He was posthumously honoured in 2019 with a Reggae Gold award by the Government of Jamaica for his contributions as a producer and singer.