The rhythm of reggae pulsed through the walls of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) on Thursday, June 26, as the Greater Toronto Area\u2019s reggae community gathered in an emotional tribute to the late Leroy Gibbons, a beloved singer and cultural icon who passed away in Jamaica on June 17 at the age of 74.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PIC-2-300x300.jpg\")
With the atmosphere blending the vibrancy of a live stage show and the heartfelt reverence of a traditional Nine Night celebration, family, friends, fans, and fellow artists came together in an evening filled with music, memories, and gratitude for the life of a man whose voice left an indelible mark on reggae music.<\/p>\n
The evening opened with prayer, calling upon blessings and divine presence to guide the event. What followed was a celebration that mirrored the energy Leroy Gibbons brought to the stage \u2014 joyful, soul-stirring, and united. Some of Toronto\u2019s top sound system selectors kept the crowd dancing, evoking the spirit of the reggae veteran whose hits like \u201cFour Seasons Lover<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> \u201cCupid<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cMissing You\u201d<\/em><\/strong> continue to resonate across generations.<\/p>\n Over 20 of Canada\u2019s leading reggae and dancehall performers volunteered their talents, transforming the stage into a vibrant display of love and musical tribute. Their heartfelt performances underscored Gibbons\u2019 deep influence on the community, both as an artist and as a friend. The spontaneous support of artists attending solely to pay their respects was a powerful reminder of the growing unity and solidarity within the reggae fraternity.<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, kudos went to Toronto\u2019s Tasjay Productions, who, in just a matter of days, coordinated a flawless and meaningful event \u2014 one that captured the essence of Leroy Gibbons\u2019 journey, spirit, and legacy.<\/p>\n As the night came to a close, one message resonated through the crowd: Leroy Gibbons may be gone, but his music lives on. The celebration at the JCA was more than a farewell \u2014 it was a call to live fully, love deeply, and give thanks every day. The rhythm of reggae pulsed through the walls of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) on Thursday, June 26, as the Greater Toronto Area\u2019s reggae community gathered in an emotional tribute to the late Leroy Gibbons, a beloved singer and cultural icon who passed away in Jamaica on June 17 at the age of 74. With […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[240,239],"tags":[82],"class_list":["post-10931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canadian-news","category-international-news","tag-featured"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10931"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10932,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10931\/revisions\/10932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PIC-4-294x300.jpg\")
Guiding the evening with poise and charm was MC Danae Peart, whose expert hosting kept the program flowing with warmth and sincerity. Guests shared personal stories, reflecting on the life of a man who called Canada home for over five decades. Gibbons\u2019 family, visibly moved by the outpouring of love, embraced the community that had embraced him for so long.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PIC-3-237x300.jpg\")
Born in Gregory Park, St. Catherine, Jamaica, Leroy Gibbons was more than a voice in reggae \u2014 he was a storyteller, a soul messenger, and a bridge between gospel roots and dancehall energy. His recently released gospel EP, \u201cHeaven Bound<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> reflected a deeper dimension of the artist often eclipsed by his chart-topping hits.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sandbox.reggaenorthca.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PIC-5-300x300.jpg\")
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