Toots & The Maytals

Led by the inimitable Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, Toots & The Maytals were one of reggae’s most influential acts, with a 1968 single (“Do the Reggay”) that coined the term and a slew of tracks that are in the genre’s bedrock. Born in 1942 in May Pen, Jamaica, Hibbert grew up singing in church and formed the vocal trio The Maytals with Henry “Raleigh” Gordon and Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias in 1962. Over time they added instrumentalists to their lineup, building their popularity with cuts like the karma-minded “Pressure Drop”, the winking wedding portrait “Sweet and Dandy”, the prison tale “54-46 That’s My Number” and the heartbroken “Monkey Man”, which broke the group worldwide. In the ’70s, they continued their dominance, releasing acclaimed albums like 1973’s Funky Kingston and 1976’s Reggae Got Soul until breaking up in 1981. Hibbert reformed the band in the early ’90s, and his vocal power remained strong well into the 21st century, with Toots & The Maytals playing concerts and festivals consistently until Hibbert’s death in 2020.