Toots’ Daughter ‘Leba’ Now Leads Toots and the Maytals Band
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, which would have been Frederick “Toots” Hibbert’s 80th birthday anniversary, a public announcement was made by the Toots and the Maytals band. According to the Hibbert family’s D&F Production company, Toots Hibbert’s daughter, Leba Hibbert, is now the lead singer of the new Toots and Maytals band. The settlement between the Hibbert estate and former band members on December 8, 2021, was reached so that the estate retained full ownership of the Maytals’ name and trademark.
Frederick “Toots” Hibbert passed away at the age of 77 on September 11, 2020, at the University of the West Indies, St. Andrew.
The old band, which has been touring for over 52 years, is comprised of Clifton ‘Jackie’ Jackson, Earl Paul Douglas, Carl Harvey, Radcliffe Bryan, and Charles Farquharson. The names of the new band members are yet to be disclosed.
“As you can imagine all the band members are very excited about going on the road and performing for my father’s fans in the US and the UK. We also want to introduce his music to the younger generation of reggae music fans wherever we perform,” she mentioned.
“My father is loved and respected all over the world as one of reggae’s greatest icons,” Leba added.
“Through hard work and dedication to his craft, he created one of the greatest legacies in reggae music and we are totally dedicated to keeping this legacy alive.”
Leba, the second child born to Toots and his wife, Mrs. Doreen Hibbert, also revealed that there’s a Toots and Maytals tribute album in the works. “It will feature new versions of some of my father’s greatest hits. The album will also feature a few duets that we recorded together. We haven’t chosen a title or release date for the album yet but as soon as we do, we’ll make an announcement.” Leba Hibbert’s music career started in the late 1980s, as a duo known as 5446, comprised of herself and her sister Melanie Hibbert. They were known for their songs Never Get To Heaven and Ooh La La.
Leba has also recorded and released songs such as Natty Dread and Jamaica featuring Hawkeye.
Toots and The Maytals won their second Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for their album Got To Be Tough in 2021. The first Grammy Award for the band was won in 2004 for the album True Love.
The group is known for hit songs such as Bam Bam, Sweet and Dandy, and Pressure Drop.
