On July 17, Bryan will be presented with seven Grammy Certificates from the Recording Association of America for playing on three Grammy-winning albums and four others that were nominated for that award.

The ceremony takes place at Island SPACE Museum in Plantation, South Florida. Making the presentation will be Kennedy Mensah, managing director of Back 2 Da Future Music Ltd, a London-based music publishing company which represents the veteran musician.

Bryan will receive certificates for playing on Black Uhuru’s ‘Anthem’, ‘Crucial! Roots Classics’ by Bunny Wailer and ‘Got to be Tough’ by Toots and The Maytals which won Best Reggae Album Grammys in 1985, 1995 and 2021, respectively.

His work on ‘Light Your Light’ and ‘Ska Father’ by Toots And The Maytals, ‘Hanging Fire’ by Jimmy Cliff and ‘The Messiah’ by Sizzla, will also be recognised.

“I’m a bit excited, but not overly excited. I always say, ‘who knows the truth, knows it and will always know it. Those who pretend not to know it, good for them also’,” he reasoned.

Born in Trelawny, a rural parish in western Jamaica, Bryan moved to Kingson in his early teens and began playing guitar in the mid-1960s. Later that decade, he became a member of The Sensations, a harmony group that had success at Treasure Isle with songs like ‘Those Guys’ and ‘Everyday is A Holiday’.

His riffs can be heard on classic reggae songs like ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ and ‘General Penitentiary’ (Black Uhuru), ‘Soon Forward’ (Gregory Isaacs), ‘Monkey Man’, ‘Funky Kingston’, ‘Pressure Drop’ and ‘Sweet And Dandy’ by Toots and The Maytals.

For over 40 years, he played in Toots’ band alongside bassist Jackie Jackson and drummer Paul Douglas. In the early years, that unit also included guitarist Hux Brown and organist Winston Wright.

During the 1970s, Bryan was a regular session player at Channel One. That is where he recorded many songs with Black Uhuru, Gregory Isaacs and Jimmy Riley, which were produced by Sly and Robbie.

Early this year, Ansel Collins was awarded a Grammy certificate for his work on Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Cliff Hanger’ which won the 1986 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

While he is pleased that he and his contemporaries are finally being acknowledged for their contribution to Jamaican music, Rad Bryan takes the belated recognition in stride.

“There’s something about the limelight… sometimes it’s good. But other times, it’s not so good, but we give thanks all the same,” he said.

(Photos contributed)