Between the Sheets is the 22nd album released by R&B/Soul/funk band “The Isley Brothers” on their T-Neck imprint on April 24, 1983 and the title track was a mega hit. Leroy Sibbles adds his smooth vocals & production skills for the reggae version backed by Jamaica’s pre eminent popular FAB 5 band. It’s the first solo release in 2016 on his Bright Beam Music Label. Critics are raving about the production, vocals and sound quality. Click to Listen now!!!
In 2002, Leroy Sibbles was awarded Jamaica’s Order of Distinction and in 2015 inducted in Toronto Reggae Hall of Fame for his extraordinary contribution to the genre in Toronto. The City of Toronto renamed a laneway off Eglinton Avenue West as “Reggae Lane” with a mural featuring him in honour of the neighbourhood’s history as an “epicentre” of reggae music. “It’s like if you put Keith Richards and Paul McCartney together. For reggae music, that’s how big [Sibbles] is,” says Josh Colle who pushed for the laneway to be renamed according to MetroNews.ca.
He also completed a successful 5 city Japan Tour in December with sold out shows in Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo, Okinawa and Fukuoka.
Leroy “Heptones” Sibbles is a singer, musician, producer described as “the greatest all-round talent in reggae history” by Kevin O’Brien Chang and Wayne Chen in their 1998 book Reggae Routes with 30+ awards including Jamaica’s OD (Order of Disctinction).
Forty years ago, he was one of the driving forces at the legendary Studio One, singing harmony and playing bass on some of the biggest rocksteady and reggae hits. Leroy’s distinctive bass lines created classics like Baby Why (The Cables), Skylarking (Horace Andy), Foggy Road (Burning Spear), Love Me Forever by Carlton (Manning), Queen Of The Minstrel & Stars (Cornel Campbell – The Eternals), Ten To One (Mad Lads), “Satta Massagana” and “Declaration of Rights” (the Abyssinians), Pass The Dutchie (Musical Youth) and Jazmine Sullivan “Need U Bad” which peaked at #1 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart in 2008. He also gained notoriety as lead singer of The Heptones whose hits include: “Baby,” “Book Of Rules,” “I’ve Got The Handle,” “I Shall Be Released”, “Gonna Fight,” “Party Time,” and “Sweet Talking.”
Today Leroy Sibbles divides his time touring, recording and producing for his indie label “Bright Beam Music”. He’s hoping that his new reggae riddim “FEEL GOOD” featuring “On My Own” written by his daughter Camisha Sibbles, Marcia Griffiths “I Cried” written by Leroy Sibbles, Anthony Cruz “Bartender”, Lukie D “One Foot In” and Sagitarr “Acapella” will achieve similar success. The record label was inspired by his father’s Bright Beam Grocery store. A beam is a bright light that shows the way and that’s what we want to do by breaking a new generation of songwriters like Camisha Sibbles and artists such as Sagitarr and Chapter, says Leroy Sibbles.
