Reggae music at Steel Lake, mon

By TRISH McMAHON

The Mirror

The reggae music of Clinton Fearon will fill Steel Lake Park next Wednesday as the Summer Sounds at the Beach concert series continues.

The solo, acoustic performance will last from 7 to 8 p.m. and is free.

Fearon heads the Seattle-based reggae group Boogie Brown Band. Although the Steel Lake concert features him solo, the group has a positive reputation from its original lyrics and popular rhythms.

Fearon has a long musical history. Originally from St. Catherine, Jamaica, he was a singer, vocalist and lyricist for The Gladiators for over 18 years. He relocated to Seattle in 1989, where he then co-founded the reggae group The Defenders and later formed his own group, Boogie Brown Band.

In Jamaica, Fearon became part of The Gladiators as a youth. His first two releases with the group were the singles “Freedom Train” and “Rockaman Soul.” He released close to 13 albums with The Gladiators.

After co-founding The Defenders, Fearon wrote the lyrics and sang lead vocals for the group’s EP, “Chant Down Babylon/Rock Your Bones.” In 1990, he released “Feel the Spirit,” a compilation of original tunes.

He formed Boogie Brown Band in 1993. Its newest album is “Give and Take” (2004). A Reggae Movement review describes the music as “modern-day flavor from a recipe from yesteryear.”

Fearon has performed in numerous states in the U.S., as well as internationally.

He is the second performer in the Summer Sounds concert series, which continues each Wednesday through Aug. 18 and is organized by the city of Federal Way’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. Should there be rain, the performance will be moved to Klahanee Lake Community Center on Ninth Avenue South.

News intern Trish McMahon can be reached at editor@fedwaymirror.com.

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