Staff WriterGroovin In The Park has announced the addition of veteran singer JC Lodge, Marcia Aitken and Pam Hall as a performers at this year’s festival which unfolds in New York on Sunday, June 24 at Roy Wilkins Park.
In the early 80’s Lodge was the darling of reggae music. The British based songbird etched her name in the annals of reggae music history with her cover song, ‘Someone Loves You Honey’ that was a #1 song in Jamaica and achieved gold and platinum in the Netherlands. Lodge followed this with another hit “Telephone Love” – one of the first dancehall/ reggae songs to enjoy crossover success in the US. The sing-along anthem was a staple on ethnic radio globally and charted at #45 on the Billboard R&B chart. The success of the single earned Lodge a US major label deal with Tommy Boy Records, then a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group.
‘I’m Still in Love with You Boy’ by Marcia Aitken was a #1 number hit song in Jamaica and the UK in the 70’s and was sampled by DJ Trinity on his popular hit ‘Three Piece Suit’ and Althea & Donna’s ‘Uptown Top Ranking.’ Aitken scored another #1 hit with Trinity titled ‘My Man’ in 1978. ‘I’m Still in Love with You Boy’ got mainstream publicity earlier this year when pop queen Beyonce announced her “On The Run II” tour with husband, rapper Jay-Z with an original version of the song in a TV ad.
Singer Pam Hall first garnered attention in the 1970’s as a member of the popular duo Pam & Woody. She later sang background vocals for reggae icons Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff and Beres Hammond until her solo career took flight in the 80s with the single ‘Dear Boopsie.’ The song spent four weeks on the UK Top 50 chart. Following a brief hiatus she re-emerged in 1994 with the Dolly Parton penned, Whitney Houston inspired hit ‘I Will Always Love You.’ Hall’s version is a reggae classic that remains popular today. She scored her biggest solo success with Candi Staton’s cover ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ and her 2016 release ‘Make It Up To You.’
Other performers booked for Groovin In The Park are Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Capleton, Busy Signal and Romain Virgo.
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