Air J Fest honours Dermot

Congrats are in order for Dermot Hussey who will accept the special achievement award atthe Air Jamaica jazz & Blues Festival

CARIBPR, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan 18, 2008: Dermott Hussey, veteran radio broadcaster and co-author of ‘Bob Marley: Reggae King of the World,’ is set to be honored for his lifetime dedication to music by organizers of the 2008 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival.

Hussey will be presented with an award by Walter Elmore, executive producer of the January 24-26, 2008 festival. The award will be presented on January 26, 2008, the final night of the festival in recognition of Hussey’s contribution to the creation of the festival.

`Dermott was the person that was planning a jazz festival in the island back in 1995 – 1996,` reminisced Elmore. `I happened to be in on one of the planning meetings and from that meeting and the fact that he was working on a Jazz festival is how the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival was started by Allen Chastanet of Air Jamaica airlines.`

Hussey is also producer of the Bob Marley interview released on Marley\\\'s album Talkin\\\' Blues. And was the person who read the eulogy for veteran reggae singer and former Wailer, Peter Tosh, at his funeral in 1987.

He also produces and presents “Riffin” 5 times a week, Monday to Friday at 8.35 p.m. on on Newstalk 93FM, is the program director at XM 101 and is a contributor to Encyclopedia Britannica. The veteran radio journalist has already won a Musgrave Medal, a prestigious Jamaican award for services to media and music.

The 2008 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues line-up is sizzling hot and in just a week, legendary singer, Diana Ross; eight-time Grammy Award winner, Anita Baker, revered ‘Caribbean Queen’ singer, Billy Ocean and Grammy winner Jill Scott will be among those thrilling fans at the Cinnamon Hill venue at the Aqueduct in Rose Hall, Montego Bay.

Chicago-born Grammy- award-winning blues singer, Koko Taylor, has also been added to the Saturday night line-up while others set to perform are newcomer Ryan Shaw, Spyro Gyra, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Yerba Buena, pianist Marjorie Whylie, JT Taylor, Kool & the Gang\\\'s former " Legendary Voice," Jessica Yap; AJ Brown, Dwight Stephenson and 13-year-old powerhouse Nikki.

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