True Love is Hard to Find

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Ever since the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come was released, I have been a fan of Toots Hibbert and the Maytals. I loved Jimmy Cliff, and the contributions by The Melodians, Desmond Dekker, and The Slickers were significant, but Toots seemed really unique. As a result, I purchased several of his albums over the years. In fact, I even wrote a song specifically about Toots’ song, “Sweet and Dandy,” entitled “All That We Know,” in 2013.

In July of 2018, I found that Toots and the Maytals were playing in Riverside, at the Fox Performing Arts Center, about an hour from us. When I got online, I found that front row seats were still available, and I pounced on them. First row, Center.

A confession, we rarely go to big venues, and even more rarely do we attend a rock or pop show. Still, a chance to see Toots and the Maytals after all these years was momentous. What I didn’t anticipate was the whole audience standing up during the entire performance, nor did I anticipate people videoing the performance on their phones which literally dozens of people were doing. When Toots launched into “Sweet and Dandy,” both Carolyn and I whipped out our phones and began recording as well. Initially, our videos of some of the songs were cut short, but eventually I videoed the rest of the performance.

Toots died on September 11, 2020. These nine posts are in honor of his memory and his significant contribution to the world of music.

Here is Toots and the Maytals with "True Love is Hard to Find."