WATCH: Wickerman recalls final ‘par’ with Tabby Diamond
The reggae music fraternity was plunged into mourning in late March with the murder of Mighty Diamonds frontman Donald ‘Tabby Diamond’ Shaw. Among Shaw’s grief-stricken industry friends is veteran entertainer Wickerman, who was captured on video with Shaw sharing in one of the late reggae singer’s final moments.
Speaking with OBSERVER ONLINE at Shaw’s funeral on Friday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, Wickerman spoke about how he has been impacted by Tabby Diamond’s murder and fondly recalled the last moments he spent with his friend which was caught in the now viral video.
WATCH: Heartfelt send-off for Tabby Diamond
“It hard to see how his life ended since Tabby was a peaceful man who just love see people a live good and to see how we just on the corner a hold a vibes earlier,” Wickerman said.
Shaw was killed March 29 on McKinley Crescent in Olympic Gardens, St Andrew, the community where he resided. Reports are that a man alighted from a motorcar and pounced on a group of people including Shaw, killing the entertainer and another man, Owen Beckford, while injuring three other individuals.
Wickerman said Shaw was killed around the same spot where both of them were just hours earlier caught on video, which has been widely circulated on social media, singing and dancing to a song featuring him alongside reggae crooner Beres Hammond.
According to Wickerman, he had spent most of the day with Tabby Diamond working in the studio on upcoming projects, after which the two decided to hang out at the spot to relax. He said, while there, his song ‘Mi Deh Yah Again’ with Hammond, which was released late last year, started playing on the radio.
Wickerman said Tabby Diamond had a fondness for the song. He stated this triggered the special moment that was captured in the video, as both jigged to the melodies and lyrics of the song, which ironically is about longtime friends having fun at a party after being locked down because of the pandemic.
Wickerman said he and Shaw spent some time together before he departed for home, where he was informed of the tragic news about Tabby Diamond’s murder.
“Mi couldn’t believe it. It shock me,” Wickerman said.
He described the killing as a wicked act and was befuddled as to why an individual would want to murder a legend such as Shaw, whose musical works over the decades are well known, as well as the late singer’s philanthropy in the community.
“I don’t know if he (the killer) know about Tabby, but if he didn’t he would know after and know that he killed an icon of the music industry,” Wickerman said.
Tabby Diamond was lead singer of Mighty Diamonds, which was formed in 1969 in the early stages of reggae music. Among their recordings are iconic songs ‘Have Mercy’, ‘Pass The Kouchie’, ‘I Need A Roof’, ‘Africa’, ‘Them Never Love Poor Marcus’ and ‘Juvenile Child’.
He was 67-years-old at the time of his death. Two days after his murder, a second member of the group, Fitzroy ‘Bunny Diamond’ Simpson died after ailing for years.
The lone surviving founding member of the group is Lloyd ‘Judge Diamond’ Ferguson.